39
In 2025, his family announced that he was not suffering from Parkinson’ s disease but from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disorder. Weakened and deprived of his preaching voice, he continued to appear in public, notably on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma for the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
He died on February 17, 2026, in Chicago, at the age of 84. Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum.
His legacy remains mixed: a builder of hope and coalitions for some, a charismatic but institutionally fragile orator for others.
However, he left behind one certainty: black political power in the United States was real, organized, and unavoidable.
His message could be summed up in one line:“ If I can dream it and believe it, then I can achieve it.”
Flashmag! Edition 170 Mars 2026
A crowd marches in Memphis several days after King’ s assassination. Jackson is at center, behind King’ s widow, Coretta. Santi Visalli / Archive Photos / Getty Images
39