Rev. Jesse Jackson Hospitalized as Civil Rights Community Rallies Around Icon

November 13, 2025

The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. , 84, has been hospitalized and is being monitored for progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disease he has privately managed for over ten years.

Who is affected

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and his family
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition organization and its members
The broader civil rights community
Readers of the 200+ African American-owned newspapers where Jackson wrote columns
Black communities that Jackson served throughout his career
Political activists and organizations inspired by his work

What action is being taken

Jackson is currently hospitalized and under observation
Medical staff are monitoring his condition related to progressive supranuclear palsy
Rainbow PUSH Coalition officials are providing updates on his condition
The family is receiving prayers from supporters

Why it matters

Jackson represents a direct link to the Civil Rights Movement as a protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his work fundamentally reshaped American politics and civil rights advocacy. His 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns broke barriers by forcing America to confront racial inequities and changed Democratic Party delegate rules, creating pathways that enabled Barack Obama's later presidential success. Beyond electoral politics, Jackson's decades of work registering voters, negotiating international hostage releases, fighting apartheid, and advocating for economic justice in Black communities established him as one of the most influential architects of modern civil rights activism, making his health struggles particularly significant to those who view him as carrying forward King's legacy.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer