Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson was hospitalized in Chicago Wednesday, according to the Rainbow Push Coalition. The 84-year-old is under observation for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative condition he has managed for over a decade. Initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, his PSP diagnosis was confirmed last April, the organization stated.
PSP affects body movements, walking, balance, and eye movement, according to the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The disease typically begins in a person’s 60s and has symptoms similar to Parkinson’s, with most people developing severe disability within three to five years.
Jackson, who rose to national prominence in the 1960s as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s protégé, spent over six decades advocating for racial equality, economic justice, and voter rights. He founded Operation Push in 1971 to improve Black communities’ economic conditions across the US.
Jesse Jackson Jr. reported Thursday that his father’s condition has improved since hospitalization, expressing gratitude for prayers received over the last 24 hours. “Dad has lived a number of years past the life expectancy of associated with this particular disease and has put up and continues to put up a valiant struggle against this particular form of unique Parkinson’s, for which there is no cure,” he added.
Jackson spent nearly three decades leading Rainbow Push before stepping down in 2023. The organization remains dedicated to social justice.
