What happened to Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson? Health conditions discussed as he gets hospitalized at 84

Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson was reportedly hospitalised in Chicago on November 12. The news was confirmed through a press release by the Rainbow Push Coalition that he is "currently under observation for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)."

Representatives disclosed that Jesse has been managing the condition "for more than a decade." They added,

"He was initially diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, received confirmation of his PSP diagnosis in April. His family asks for continued prayers during this time."

What happened to Jesse Jackson? Health conditions explored as he gets hospitalised at 84

Jesse Jackson, revered as Martin Luther King Jr.'s protégé, was hospitalised on November 12, as confirmed by his organisation, Rainbow Push Coalition. While the Coalition revealed he is currently under observation for "Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)", little information has been disclosed about his condition.

Jesse had previously revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2017. According to the NY Times, he had penned down a letter on X at the time and confirmed the news. He wrote,

"Recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful, and I have been slow to grasp the gravity of it. For me, a Parkinson’s diagnosis is not a stop sign but rather a signal that I must make lifestyle changes and dedicate myself to physical therapy in hopes of slowing the disease’s progression.”

He added that the disease would not stop his advocacy and added,

"I will continue to try to instill hope in the hopeless, expand our democracy to the disenfranchised and free innocent prisoners around the world."

According to sources, the 84-year-old's name became synonymous with the civil rights movement. USA Today reported that he founded Operation PUSH (now renamed the Rainbow Push Coalition) in 1971, which aims to advocate for social justice. He stepped down as the head of the organisation in 2023.

The news outlet added that the former presidential candidate was hospitalised in 2021 after testing positive for COVID-19. In the same year, he was hospitalised after "falling and hitting his head in Howard University."

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Jesse Jackson has reportedly been battling a neurodegenerative condition for more than a decade. His family has asked his followers and well-wishers to keep him in their prayers.

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