Rev. Jesse Jackson hospitalized: ‘The family appreciates all prayers‘

Rev. Jesse Jackson, who has been living with Parkinson’s disease, is “under observation” for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)

Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson has reportedly been hospitalized in Chicago. 

On Wednesday evening, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition told news outlets that Jackson, 84, is “under observation for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative disorder he has managed for more than a decade,” per ABC Chicago. 

“He has been managing this neurodegenerative condition for more than a decade,” the statement continued, according to CNN. “The family appreciates all prayers at this time.”

No further details about his condition have been released. 

In 2017, Jackson publicly announced he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a “progressive movement disorder of the nervous system” that weakens, damages, and kills nerve cells in parts of the brain, causing patients to develop symptoms like tremors, limb stiffness,  slowed movement, and impaired balance, per the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Since then, the civil rights activist has used his platform to raise awareness about the condition. 

“My family and I began to notice changes about three years ago,” Jackson said at the time. “After a battery of tests, my physicians identified the issue as Parkinson’s disease, a disease that bested my father…recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful.”

However, last April, doctors confirmed Jackson’s PSP diagnosis. According to the National Institute of Health, PSP is “a rare neurological disorder that affects body movements, walking and balance, and eye movements caused by damage to nerve cells in areas of the brain that control thinking and body movements.” Despite its similarities to Parkinson’s disease, PSP is typically seen in people in their mid-to-late 60s. 

Jackson gained national prominence in the 1960s when he served as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s protogé. In 1984 and 1988, Jackson launched two presidential campaigns, making him the second African American to run for president. 

Over the last 60 years, Rev. Jackson has been a strong advocate for racial and economic justice through organizations such as Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition, now known as the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.