Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson was hospitalized in Chicago Wednesday amid a rare neurological condition. The 84-year-old is under observation for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative disorder that affects body movements, walking, balance, and eye movements.
The Rainbow Push Coalition stated that Jackson has been managing this condition for over a decade, initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease before PSP was confirmed last April. The organization expressed gratitude for prayers during this time.
PSP typically begins in a person’s 60s and shares symptoms with Parkinson’s disease, with most individuals developing severe disability within three to five years. Jackson has spent over six decades advocating for racial equality, economic justice, and voter rights. In 1971, he founded Operation Push to improve Black communities’ economic conditions across the U.S.
Jesse Jackson Jr. reported that his father’s condition had improved since hospitalization, stating that Jackson has lived beyond the life expectancy associated with PSP and continues to fight against this unique form of Parkinson’s, which lacks a cure.
Dr. Jori Fleisher, a neurologist at Rush University Medical Center, explained that PSP involves an unusual tendency for individuals to fall backwards, resembling a static stance pushed backward.
