Rev. Jesse Jackson is not on life support despite hospitalization, family says
- - Rev. Jesse Jackson is not on life support despite hospitalization, family says
Melina Khan, USA TODAY November 17, 2025 at 10:08 PM
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The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. is in stable condition despite remaining hospitalized, his family said in a statement on Nov. 16.
Jackson, 84, was admitted to a hospital on Nov. 12 under observation for progressive supranuclear palsy, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, his civil rights organization, said in a statement.
In the Nov. 16 statement, Jackson's family dispelled reports that the civil rights leader is on life support and confirmed that he is breathing without the assistance of machines at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
"In fact, today he called for 2,000 churches to prepare 2,000 baskets of food to prevent malnutrition during the holiday season," said his son, Yusef Jackson.
Jackson, an ordained Baptist minister, was a prominent voice in the 1960s civil rights movement and former protégé of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He had two unsuccessful bids for the Democratic presidential nomination, in 1984 and 1988, and formed the civil rights organizations Operation PUSH and the Rainbow Coalition, which later merged.
Reverend Jesse Jackson (C) leads demonstrators down State Street to protest the death of Laquan McDonald and the alleged cover-up that followed on Dec. 6, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke shot and killed 17-year-old McDonald on Oct. 20, 2014, hitting him with 16 bullets. Van Dyke was charged with murder more than a year after the shooting after a judge ordered the release to the public of a video which showed McDonald backing away from Van Dyke while being shot.
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Reverend Jesse Jackson (C) leads demonstrators down State Street to protest the death of Laquan McDonald and the alleged cover-up that followed on Dec. 6, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke shot and killed 17-year-old McDonald on Oct. 20, 2014, hitting him with 16 bullets. Van Dyke was charged with murder more than a year after the shooting after a judge ordered the release to the public of a video which showed McDonald backing away from Van Dyke while being shot.
">Reverend Jesse Jackson (C) leads demonstrators down State Street to protest the death of Laquan McDonald and the alleged cover-up that followed on Dec. 6, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke shot and killed 17-year-old McDonald on Oct. 20, 2014, hitting him with 16 bullets. Van Dyke was charged with murder more than a year after the shooting after a judge ordered the release to the public of a video which showed McDonald backing away from Van Dyke while being shot.
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In 2017, Jesse Jackson announced he has Parkinson's disease. It was diagnosed in 2015 and makes routine tasks more difficult. His father was also afflicted with the ailment. He's seen here at the dedication of the National Museum of African American History and Culture Sept. 24, 2016, in Washington, DC, before the museum opened to the public.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/BhdsmI_yHVHmbxhOfa4HJw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04MDI-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/f546056edd829cf25e037fd554daf71a class=caas-img data-headline="Follow Rev. Jesse Jackson's journey from preacher to civil rights leader and politician" data-caption="
In 2017, Jesse Jackson announced he has Parkinson's disease. It was diagnosed in 2015 and makes routine tasks more difficult. His father was also afflicted with the ailment. He's seen here at the dedication of the National Museum of African American History and Culture Sept. 24, 2016, in Washington, DC, before the museum opened to the public.
">In 2017, Jesse Jackson announced he has Parkinson's disease. It was diagnosed in 2015 and makes routine tasks more difficult. His father was also afflicted with the ailment. He's seen here at the dedication of the National Museum of African American History and Culture Sept. 24, 2016, in Washington, DC, before the museum opened to the public.
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1 / 43Follow Rev. Jesse Jackson's journey from preacher to civil rights leader and politicianIn July 1960, Jesse Jackson (second row, left) and seven other students were arrested for trying to integrate the Greenville County Library in South Carolina. Pictured with Jackson are, front row, from left, Joan Mattison Daniel, Elaine Means, Margaree Seawright Crosby, Dorris Wright, Hattie Smith Wright; second row, Benjamin Downs; back row, Willie Joe Wright and attorneys Donald Sampson and Willie T. Smith Jr..What is progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP?
In 2017, Jackson announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease two years earlier. But his diagnosis was confirmed to be progressive supranuclear palsy last April, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition said.
Progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP, is a rare neurological disorder that affects body movements, walking and balance, and eye movements, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
While different from Parkinson's disease, some of their symptoms are similar. PSP typically begins later than when Parkinson’s disease symptoms develop.
PSP usually worsens rapidly and can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, choking, or head injuries from falls, according to NINDS.
Rev. Jesse Jackson's health
In a 2017 letter initially announcing his Parkinson's diagnosis, Jackson acknowledged that the disease also afflicted his father.
"Now in the latter years of my life, at 76 years old, I find it increasingly difficult to perform routine tasks, and getting around is more of a challenge," Jackson said at the time. "For a while, I resisted interrupting my work to visit a doctor. But as my daily physical struggles intensified, I could no longer ignore the symptoms, so I acquiesced."
Rev. Jesse Jackson is interviewed in Montgomery, Ala., on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
Jackson was hospitalized in February 2021 for abdominal surgery and again in August 2021 after testing positive for COVID-19, according to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. In November 2021, he also underwent treatment after falling and hitting his head at Howard University, Reuters reported.
He stepped down as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in 2023.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].
Contributing: Thao Nguyen and Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY; Aamer Madhani
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rev. Jesse Jackson is not on life support, family says
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