Rev. Jesse Jackson Hospitalized but Breathing Independently

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a prominent civil rights leader and former presidential candidate, has been hospitalized but is now reportedly breathing without machine assistance, according to his family.

Jackson was admitted last week for monitoring related to a neurodegenerative disease he was diagnosed with earlier this year. Initially, there were concerns for his health, with some reports stating he was on life support. However, his family shared on Sunday that he is stable and can breathe on his own.

“In fact, today he reached out to 2,000 churches asking them to prepare boxes of food to help prevent malnutrition during the holiday season,” his son, Yusef Jackson, mentioned.

At 84 years old, Jackson remains under the care of doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He has been dealing with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurological condition he was formally diagnosed with in April, after initially being identified with Parkinson’s disease years earlier.

PSP typically begins affecting individuals in their 60s and can share symptoms with Parkinson’s. Unfortunately, most patients face severe disabilities within three to five years.

The organization had previously stated that Jackson has been managing this condition for over a decade.

In addition, friends and family are planning to travel to Chicago soon to support him during this time.

Jackson established Operation PUSH in 1971 to promote the welfare of the black community and later founded the National Rainbow Coalition in 1984. These two groups merged in the 1990s to create the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. He is also known for his slogan “Keep Hope Alive,” which gained prominence during his unsuccessful presidential run in 1988.