Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson Hospitalized: What To Know...

Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, a protégé of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., was hospitalized in Chicago on Wednesday night, according to reports. The 84-year-old is showing symptoms of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative condition, according to a statement from his social justice organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, to CNN. “He was originally diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease however, last April, his PSP condition was confirmed. The family appreciates all prayers at this time,” the statement said. Jackson has faced multiple health challenges in the past, including gallbladder surgery and a hospitalization for Covid-19 in 2021. He has not worked as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition since July 2023, when he retired. The coalition formed following the merger of two separate organizations he started; Operation PUSH, founded in 1971, which focused on improving black communities’ financial situations, and the National Rainbow Coalition, founded in 1984, which worked on achieving equality. Rev. Jesse Jackson speaking in Chicago in 2021. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP) This is a developing story. More to follow.