Civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson is still hospitalized as doctors work to stabilize his blood pressure, according to a family source who spoke with CNN.
A statement released by Jackson’s family on Sunday confirmed that he is breathing on his own and is not on life support. However, the family source told CNN that Jackson is receiving medication to elevate his blood pressure, which is considered a form of life support.
Jackson, 84, has been closely monitored for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurological condition, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition announced last week. PSP affects balance, body movement, and eye control, and shares some similarities with Parkinson’s disease. CNN reports that most people diagnosed with PSP become severely disabled within several years.
The family shared that Jackson experienced a sharp drop in blood pressure Saturday evening, but medical staff responded quickly. Despite his condition, he has shown brief signs of alertness in recent days, CNN reported.
Jackson’s son Yusef said in a Sunday update that even while hospitalized, his father’s concern for others remains strong. “In fact, today he called for 2,000 churches to prepare 2,000 baskets of food to prevent malnutrition during the holiday season,” he said in a statement quoted by CNN.
Last week, his son Jesse Jackson Jr. said during his radio show that his father had shown “significant improvement” under medical care.
Jackson has been living with a neurodegenerative illness for more than a decade. Though he was initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, CNN reports that doctors confirmed PSP in April of last year.
A protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson became a central figure in the civil rights movement after King’s assassination in 1968. He went on to found Operation PUSH in 1971 to strengthen economic opportunities in Black communities, and later established the National Rainbow Coalition in 1984. The two organizations eventually merged into the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which continues his legacy of advocacy.
Jackson’s family has asked for continued prayers as he remains under medical care.
