Rev. Jesse Jackson Released from Hospital After Treatment
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a well-known civil rights leader, was discharged from a hospital in Chicago on Monday. His family reported that he had been undergoing treatment for a rare brain disorder for at least 12 days.
According to Yusef Jackson, a family spokesperson, the 84-year-old is now in stable condition after being treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Earlier this month, Jackson was hospitalized for observation due to progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative condition that affects balance, movement, and vision. He was initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease back in 2013, and that diagnosis was later revised to PSP in April 2025. Unfortunately, as of now, there is no available treatment for this condition.
“We appreciate the many friends and supporters who reached out, visited, and prayed for our father,” Yusef Jackson said in a statement issued through the Rainbow Push Coalition, an advocacy group founded by Jackson. He added, “We truly believe that prayer has an impact and thank the dedicated team at Northwestern for their care.” The family also requested continued prayers during this time.
Jackson opened up about his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2017, mentioning the challenges he faced in coming to terms with the disease. “It was hard to see how this would affect me, especially knowing my father struggled with it too,” he said during that period.
Throughout his career, Jackson has encountered various health challenges including gallbladder surgery and a COVID-19 hospitalization. In 2021, he suffered a fall while assisting students at Howard University protesting poor living conditions, which led to another hospital visit.
A key figure in the civil rights movement, Jackson worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and participated in pivotal moments like the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. After King’s assassination in 1968, Jackson emerged as one of the foremost leaders continuing King’s work. He even ran for the presidency twice as a Democrat in the 1980s.
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition, established by Jackson in 1996, was formed by merging two of his earlier organizations—Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition.
