By Peter.
Civil rights pioneer Rev. Jesse Jackson, 84, has been admitted to a Chicago hospital and is receiving close monitoring for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), the rare brain disorder he’s battled for over a decade, according to a statement from his Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
The announcement came Wednesday, with the organization noting Jackson’s initial Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2017 was refined to PSP last April. This progressive condition, which disrupts balance, mobility, and cognition, often gets confused with Parkinson’s due to overlapping signs and typically strikes those over 60, hitting men harder than women.
“The family appreciates all prayers at this time,” the coalition added, as no additional updates on his care or prognosis were shared.
Born in 1941, Jackson emerged as a towering force in the fight for equality, mentored by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He dropped out of Chicago Theological Seminary in the 1960s to dive into the Civil Rights Movement, marching shoulder-to-shoulder with King for racial justice and broader societal reform.
In 1996, he launched the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in Chicago, blending his earlier ventures—People United to Serve Humanity (PUSH, founded 1971) and the Rainbow Coalition (1984)—into a powerhouse for equity and activism. Jackson handed over the presidency in 2023, empowering younger leaders to carry the torch.
His legacy brims with honors: the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton in 2000, America’s top civilian award, plus over 40 honorary doctorates for his nonviolent advocacy and human rights work.
A trailblazing candidate, Jackson sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, galvanizing more than 3 million new voters and forever altering Black political empowerment in America.
During the 1990s, he championed D.C. statehood as a shadow senator, amplifying calls for the capital’s full representation.
As tributes and well-wishes flood in nationwide, Jackson’s unyielding pursuit of fairness and unity endures, touching lives across generations.
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