Reverend Jesse Jackson is receiving medical care in a Chicago hospital, and his family says the 84-year-old civil rights leader is in stable condition. The update comes after conflicting early reports suggested Jackson was on life support-claims his relatives firmly dismissed as inaccurate.
According to the family, Jackson is being treated for pneumonia while continuing to manage Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare degenerative neurological disorder he was first diagnosed with in 2017. PSP affects mobility, balance, and speech, and is often mistaken for Parkinson’s disease, though the two conditions differ significantly.
In a statement shared with multiple media outlets, the Jackson family emphasized that the longtime activist “is not on life support” and urged the public to disregard circulating misinformation. They added that he is receiving appropriate medical attention and expressed appreciation for the outpouring of concern: “He is stable and being treated for pneumonia along with his pre-existing condition of PSP. He is NOT on life support. We ask for continued prayers and support.”
Jackson, a prominent figure of the Civil Rights Movement who once marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has stepped away from public life in recent years due to declining health. He entered home hospice care in late 2024 but has continued to receive medical interventions as needed.
The founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and a two-time presidential candidate, Jackson remains a towering figure in American public life. His decades of advocacy for racial justice, economic equality, and voting rights have cemented his status as one of the nation’s most influential civil rights voices.
Family members say further updates will be shared as appropriate, and they have asked for privacy as Jackson continues his recovery.
