Thoughts and prayers go out to Jesse Jackson and his family ❤️🙏🏼

Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, who ran for president twice in the 1980s, has been hospitalized for observation of a neurodegenerative condition. Now, his family and his nonprofit Rainbow PUSH Coalition have shared an update.

**Hospitalized for Observation**

Rev. Jesse Jackson, 84, was hospitalized late Wednesday for observation of a neurodegenerative condition with which he was diagnosed earlier this year, The Rainbow PUSH Coalition said in a statement.

The civil rights leader, who was seen as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s protegé and part of his inner circle in the 1960s, ran for president in the 1980s.

**Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Diagnosis**

The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, which Jackson founded, confirmed Jackson was under observation for **progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)**.

“He has been managing this neurodegenerative condition for more than a decade. He was originally diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; however, last April, his PSP condition was confirmed. The family appreciates all prayers at this time,” Rainbow/PUSH said in a statement.

According to Johns Hopkins, PSP is easily mistaken for Parkinson’s disease, with the latter being more common. Both conditions cause slowing of movements, tremors, falls, stiffness, and shuffling of the feet. Both can also cause changes in memory.

**His 2017 Parkinson’s Announcement**

In 2017, Jesse Jackson revealed he had Parkinson’s. At the time, he said he had noticed first symptoms “about three years ago” with motor system disorder, which he attempted to work through.

“But as my daily physical struggles intensified, I could no longer ignore the symptoms, so I acquiesced,” Jackson wrote in a 2017 statement. “After a battery of tests, my physicians identified the issue as Parkinson’s disease, a disease that bested my father. Recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful, and I have been slow to grasp the gravity of it.”

He added: **”For me, a Parkinson’s diagnosis is not a stop sign.”**

**Thoughts and Prayers**

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Rev. Jesse Jackson and his family during this time. His legacy as a civil rights leader, advocate, and tireless champion for justice continues to inspire millions around the world.