Rev. Jesse Jackson’s rare brain disease sent him to the hospital in Chicago
A civil rights icon is being monitored for a degenerative neurological condition.
Rev. Jesse Jackson has spent his life fighting for justice, but now he faces a new type of obstacle: his health.
After being brought to Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Wednesday, the 84-year-old is presently under observation for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
“Jackson is under observation for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative disorder he has managed for more than a decade,” read a statement from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which he founded.
It was well known that Jackson had previously been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. But a far less common condition called PSP impairs motor skills like vision, balance, and swallowing. Age is the most reliable risk factor, however the precise cause is yet unknown. According to News Medical, it is frequently mistaken as Parkinson’s disease.
Generations have benefited from Jackson’s contributions. He became a prominent voice in the struggle for civil rights in the 1960s while serving as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s valued aide. In order to carry on his support for racial and economic equality, he later mounted historic presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 and founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Although he is still a well-liked member of the coalition, he resigned his leadership position at the group he helped create in 2023.
His status is unknown as of Thursday morning.
