
The Rev. Jesse Jackson was hospitalized on Wednesday and is under observation for a neurodegenerative condition, his organization, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, said in a statement.
Jackson, 84, has been managing the condition, called progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), for over a decade, according to the organization he founded.
“He was originally diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; however, last April, his PSP condition was confirmed,” the organization said. “The family appreciates all prayers at this time.”
The disorder damages certain areas of the brain and affects a person’s walking, swallowing, balance and eye movements, according to the Mayo Clinic. The condition worsens over time and can lead to dangerous complications, including trouble swallowing and pneumonia.
The disease typically affects people over the age of 60, and symptoms can mimic those of Parkinson’s.
There is no cure for the disease, but treatment options to help with symptoms include physical and occupational therapy, Botox, antidepressants, eyeglasses with prism or bifocal lenses, and Parkinson’s disease medications.
In a 2017 statement following news of his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Jackson said that his family began noticing symptoms three years prior and that his father also had the disease.
Jackson became a civil rights icon in the 1960s, participating in marches alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and playing a pivotal role in movements for equality and justice. He ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988.
He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, by President Bill Clinton in August 2000.
Jackson founded the National Rainbow Coalition in 1984. It merged with Operation PUSH in September 1996 to form the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Putting resources into Yourself: Self-awareness Techniques - 2
World leaders, rights groups react to COP30 climate deal - 3
From Certificate to Dollars: College Majors with Extraordinary Monetary Prizes - 4
Director Emerald Fennell explains why "Wuthering Heights" has quotation marks around the title - 5
A definitive Handbook for Securities exchange Money management
From Representative to Business visionary: Private issue Victories
Find the Standards of Powerful Cooperation: Accomplishing Cooperative energy and Coordinated effort
At least 36 dead in major fire in Hong Kong residential blocks
Revealing the Incomparable Realms: An Excursion through Power and Inheritance
Timex Gives Its Classic Affordable Field Watch a Tactical, Milspec Makeover
Don't miss the waxing moon swing by the Beehive star cluster March 27
Students were skipping my astrophysics class to play video games – so I turned the class itself into a video game
New 'People We Meet on Vacation' trailer teases Poppy and Alex romance: Everything we know about the new Netflix movie
Sa'ar warns German delegation: 'A Palestinian state would be a Hamas terror state'












