Governor Hochul Directs State Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Civil Rights Leader Reverend Jesse Jackson

Governor Kathy Hochul today directed flags to be lowered at half-staff to honor the life and public service legacy of civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson, who passed away on Tuesday, February 17 at the age of 84. Flags will be lowered on Wednesday, February 18 concurrently in honor of former Representative Richard L. Ottinger.

“Reverend Jesse Jackson’s life was defined by courage and conviction. From Selma to the national stage, he stood tall against racial injustice,” Governor Hochul said. “Today, I join New Yorkers in honoring his legacy and the generations he inspired. My thoughts are with the family of Reverend Jackson and all those whose lives he touched.”

Rev. Jesse Jackson, a Baptist minister and two-time presidential candidate, rose to prominence in the Civil Rights era. He propelled the Civil Rights Movement in the decades following the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and founded People United to Save Humanity (PUSH) in 1971. His activism spanned decades, including two runs for the Democratic presidential nomination, in 1984 and 1988. Jackson also helped secure the release of several detained and captured Americans around the world.