Civil Rights Activist Rev. Jesse Jackson Hospitalized
Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson was hospitalized on Wednesday evening.
According to ABC News, the 84-year-old Jackson is currently under observation for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative condition that he’s been managing for a decade.
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition announced Jackson’s hospitalization in a statement. “He was originally diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; however, last April, his PSP condition was confirmed,” the statement read. “The family appreciates all prayers at this time.”
The National Institutes of Health defines PSP as “a rare neurological disorder that affects body movements, walking and balance, and eye movements.” The disease is caused by damage to nerve cells in the brain that control movement and thinking. While it has similar symptoms to Parkinson’s, PSP is an entirely different disease in itself. It’s unclear if Jackson has both Parkinson’s and PSP, or if his diagnosis has been changed.
CNN reports that Jackson released a statement in 2017 announcing his Parkinson’s diagnosis. Jackson wrote in the statement, “My family and I began to notice changes about three years ago,” calling the realization “painful” as Parkinson’s was the disease “that bested my father.” He added that diagnosis was “a signal that I must make lifestyle changes and dedicate myself to physical therapy in hopes of slowing the disease’s progression.”
Jesse Jackson gained prominence as a civil rights leader in the ‘60s while serving as a protégé of Martin Luther King Jr. Jackson began his activist work as a student at North Carolina A & T. He led a sit-in during the summer of 1960 to desegregate the public library in Greenville. In 1966, King appointed Jackson to serve as the first director of Operation Breadbasket in Chicago. Operation Breadbasket would eventually evolve into People United to Save Humanity or PUSH.
In 1996, PUSH combined with the Rainbow Coalition to become the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Their primary focus is improving economic conditions for Black communities across the nation, providing educational classes for inner city youth, and ensuring all Americans are granted equal rights. Jackson served as the president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition until his retirement in July 2023.
Jackson’s national recognition grew during his 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns.
Despite not winning the nomination for Democratic candidate, his campaign was widely praised for proving that a Black presidential candidate with progressive values could be taken seriously. Jackson would go on to serve one term as Washington, D.C.’s shadow senator from 1991 to 1997. President Bill Clinton would award Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in August 2000. Jackson has spent six decades advocating for racial equity, economic justice, and voting rights.
Sadly, his hospitalization is only the latest in a series of health problems Jesse Jackson has faced in recent years.
In 2021, Jackson had to undergo gallbladder surgery and was hospitalized for COVID-19 with his wife. Later that same year, Jackson fell while attending a meeting at Howard University and suffered a head injury that also resulted in his being hospitalized.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jesse Jackson and his family.
SEE ALSO:
How Jesse Jackson Changed American Elections
The Civil Rights Journey Of Rev. Jesse Jackson
Civil Rights Activist Rev. Jesse Jackson Hospitalized was originally published on newsone.com
