Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, remains hospitalized at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he is under observation and receiving treatment for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), according to two statements released by his family.
In the first statement issued Thursday, November 13, the family confirmed that Jesse Jackson Sr. had been admitted to the hospital the previous day and was “doing well” while under a doctor’s care for PSP, a neurological disorder with which he was diagnosed in April. They thanked the Northwestern medical team and said physicians would continue monitoring his condition to ensure the best possible care and support.
On Sunday evening, November 16, the family released a follow-up statement to clarify Jackson’s current status amid inaccurate reports circulating online and both local and national news reports. In the updated statement, the family said Rev. Jackson is in stable condition, is breathing without the assistance of machines, and is not on life support.
“In fact, today he called for 2,000 churches to prepare 2,000 baskets of food to prevent malnutrition during the holiday season,” his son, Yusef Jackson, said.
The family expressed appreciation for the many prayers and messages of support they have received during this time.
Jackson, 84, remains one of the nation’s most influential civil rights figures. A protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he rose to national prominence in the 1960s and went on to found Operation PUSH and the Rainbow Coalition, which later merged into the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. His groundbreaking presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 reshaped national politics. He continued preaching, traveling, and advocating for civil rights long into his later years before stepping down from day-to-day leadership of Rainbow PUSH in 2023.
The Jackson family said they remain grateful for the continued support as the human rights icon receives care.