U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. Mourns the Passing of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr., Champion of Black Business, Mentor, and Friend

[Washington, D.C.] February 17, 2026 — The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC), the national voice for 175 Black chambers of commerce representing 365,000 business owners across all 50 states, mourns the passing of the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr., who died peacefully this morning at the age of 84. Rev. Jackson was a towering civil rights leader, two-time presidential candidate, founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition — and for the USBC, a personal mentor, a partner, and a dear friend.

“Today I lost a mentor, and our community lost a giant,” said Ron Busby Sr., President and CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. “Rev. Jackson didn’t just support the USBC from a distance; he walked with us. He lent his presence and his voice early in this journey, solidifying our place on the battlefield for Black business. He was a friend to me personally and to my family, and his counsel shaped the leader I am today. Rev. Jesse Jackson was GOOD FOR BUSINESS, and the USBC is forever indebted for the monumental strides he insisted we make — and those he insisted we make alongside him.”

While Rev. Jackson’s legacy is most widely celebrated for the giant doors he opened in civil rights and American politics, his impact on Black economic advancement was no less transformative. From the Wall Street Project to his challenges against the auto industry, telecommunications, and Silicon Valley, Rev. Jackson opened pathways for Black entrepreneurs to become suppliers, dealers, distributors, and owners across every sector of the American economy.

The USBC and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition have maintained a longstanding partnership rooted in the shared conviction that civil rights and economic rights are inseparable. That partnership — born of Rev. Jackson’s vision and sustained by the work of both organizations — remains a cornerstone of the USBC’s commitment to building an economically vibrant Black America.

Born October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Rev. Jackson rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most consequential leaders in American history. A protégé of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he carried forward the torch of the civil rights movement while expanding its reach into the boardrooms, trading floors, and executive suites where economic power is forged.

Charles H. O’Neal, Chairman of the USBC Board of Directors, reflected: “All of us whose lives were impacted by Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. — and that’s ALL OF US — should pause and acknowledge his passing. It is absolutely fitting that Rev. Jackson punctuated his life by passing away in Black History Month. Without question, the work we do at the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. has benefited from Rev. Jackson’s embrace of mission and vision. Early in our journey, he lent his presence and his voice, helping to solidify the USBC’s place on the battlefield for Black business. While much of Rev. Jackson’s incredible legacy centers on the giant doors he opened in civil rights and the world of politics, he was no less a force in ensuring economic headway for Black-owned businesses. In his own words, he was ‘…a tree shaker, not a jelly maker!’ But, man, did he make jelly!”