Reverend Jesse Jackson is reportedly in stable condition and breathing independently, despite some erroneous media reports suggesting he was on life support. The esteemed civil rights figure and former Democratic presidential contender, now 84, was admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago last Wednesday. Doctors are monitoring and treating his Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative ailment he has been managing for over a decade. According to a family source, Jackson experienced a significant drop in blood pressure on Saturday night. However, the medical team acted swiftly, administering medication to stabilize his condition.

Although initially responsive with the help of medication, Jackson’s condition has notably improved in the past 24 hours, allowing him to maintain stable blood pressure without medical assistance, the source noted. His son, Yusef, mentioned in a statement that Jackson’s well-being has progressed to the point where he has resumed work activities. “Today, he contacted 2,000 churches to organize 2,000 food baskets, aimed at combating malnutrition during the holiday season,” Yusef shared on Sunday. The family expressed deep gratitude for the unwavering dedication of the medical staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, emphasizing their appreciation for the support and prayers they’ve received.

Jackson’s journey as a prominent civil rights advocate began under the mentorship of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s. Initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which shares similar symptoms with PSP, Jackson’s condition was confirmed as PSP in April. This progressive neurological disorder impacts movement, balance, and eye coordination, as explained by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Typically emerging in one’s 60s, PSP accelerates rapidly, leading to severe disabilities within a few years. It can also result in complications like pneumonia, choking, or head injuries from falls.

Following the news of Jackson’s health scare, many shared their prayers online. ‘I am praying for the Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose courageous voice and transformational ministry I’ve admired since childhood,’ Sen. Raphael Warnock, of Georgia, posted on X. ‘Strength and grace to him in this season.’ The Rev. Al Sharpton also issued a statement saying he is praying for Jackson, ‘someone who has been a mentor, a friend and a brother for more than 55 years. ‘I first met Rev. Jackson when I was 12 years old as the Youth Director of Operation Breadbasket, which he led under the tutelage of Dr. King. We have been friends and allies in the movement for justice ever since,’ Sharpton continued. ‘He has always been a fighter and I am certain he certainly is at this moment.’

Jackson, born in Greenville, South Carolina, attended the University of Illinois before he transferred and graduated from the North Carolina A&T State University in 1964. His role in activism began with his mission to desegregate the local public library in Greenville in the 60s, and then as leader of the sit-in movement. By 1965, he became a full-time organizer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. His work eventually caught the attention of Martin Luther King Jr – who appointed Jackson to direct the Operation Breadbasket program, which sought to improve the economic conditions of African Americans by promoting employment and boycotting businesses. Jackson was ordained in 1967 and received his Master of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary in 2000.

In December 1971, Jackson founded Operation PUSH [People United to Serve Humanity] in Chicago, which advocated for economic empowerment, educational expanse, and business and employment equality. He then founded the National Rainbow Coalition in 1984, a social justice organization based in Washington DC that advocated for political empowerment, education and advocating for changing public policy. The two organizations merged in 1996. Amid these efforts, Jackson campaigned for the presidency in 1984 and 1988, breaking new ground in US politics. In his first campaign, he garnered 3.5 million votes and helped the Democratic Party regain control of the Senate in 1986. His second campaign saw over two million new voters and garnered him seven million votes.

Despite losing those races, Jackson was elected senator of Washington DC in 1991. In that role he advocated for statehood for the nation’s capitol and advanced the ‘rainbow’ agenda at national and international levels, according to his coalition. In October 1997, Jackson was also appointed by former President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as ‘Special Envoy of the President and Secretary of State for the Promotion of Democracy in Africa.’ The position saw him travel to several countries in Africa and met with leaders such as President Nelson Mandela of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya, and President Frederick JT Chiluba of Zambia.

He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Bill Clinton on August 9, 2000 and has received more than 40 honorary doctorate degrees as he lectured at major colleges and universities. In more recent years, Jackson has ‘continued to promote voter registration and lead get-out-the-vote campaigns, believing that everyone should be encourage to be a responsible, informed and active voter,’ his PUSH Coalition said.

It added that he also backed and advocated for policies such as universal healthcare, equal administration of justice, sufficient funding for the enforcement of civil rights laws, and increased attention on business investment in underserved domestic communities. For his work, the reverend has been dubbed the ‘Conscience of the Nation’ and ‘the Great Unifier,’ according to the PUSH coalition. ‘Jackson [challenged] America to be inclusive and to establish just and humane priorities for the benefit of all,’ the coalition said. ‘He is known for bringing people together on common ground across lines of race, culture, class, gender and belief.’ The civil rights activist married his college sweetheart Jacqueline Lavinia Brown in 1963, with whom he shares five children.