Civil Rights Champion Jesse Jackson Hospitalized

The renowned civil rights advocate and Baptist minister, Rev. Jesse Jackson, has been admitted to a Chicago hospital this past Wednesday due to complications arising from progressive supranuclear palsy.

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition, an organization initiated by Jackson to combat social injustices, has verified his current health status in an official press release.

At 84 years old, Jackson has been contending with various neurodegenerative ailments for more than ten years. Initially thought to have Parkinson’s disease, a definitive diagnosis of PSP was confirmed earlier this year in April.

Progressive supranuclear palsy is a rare condition leading to a rapid decline in motor abilities due to tau protein accumulation in the brain, affecting movement, speech, and balance, among other faculties.

Prominent figures such as Bernie Sanders and Al Sharpton, alongside numerous members of Congress, have expressed their respects and well-wishes to Jackson during this challenging period.

Rev. Jackson's health struggles also encompass a past battle with COVID-19, which he and his wife contracted.

Born in 1941 in a segregated society in Greenville, SC, Jackson's journey brought him to the forefront of the civil rights movement, closely working with Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1960s.

His impact extended into economic equality efforts, notably through Operation PUSH which encouraged Black employment, and the formation of the Rainbow Coalition in the 1980s to rally marginalized communities for social and political reforms. Jackson notably paved the way as a significant Black presidential candidate, securing millions of votes in the 1980s elections.