The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a prominent figure in the civil rights movement who fought alongside Martin Luther King Jr., facilitated global hostage negotiations, and criticized corporations for their insufficient diversity and lack of support for voting rights, has passed away. He was 84 years old.
The civil rights leader was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease over ten years ago. He was admitted to the hospital last year on November 12 after a prolonged struggle with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a progressive neuromuscular disease akin to Parkinson’s disease.
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What is progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)?
Progressive supranuclear palsy is an uncommon neurological disorder that impacts walking, balance, eye movements, and swallowing. The condition arises from the deterioration of cells in brain regions responsible for body movement, coordination, cognition, and other vital functions.
Progressive supranuclear palsy is also referred to as Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome.
This condition progressively deteriorates over time and may result in severe complications, including pneumonia and difficulties with swallowing.
Currently, there is no cure for progressive supranuclear palsy, thus treatment is aimed at alleviating the symptoms.
It impacts on movement, balance, eye motion, and swallowing. The other symptoms include stiffness being sensitive to bright light, trouble with sleep, depression and anxiety and dizziness.
Jackson received Presidential Medal of Freedom
Jackson was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, and was recognized as one of the most prominent Black activists globally.
In spite of the illness that affected his voice and diminished his mobility, he persisted in his civil rights advocacy, facing arrest twice in 2021 due to his opposition to the Senate filibuster rule. That same year, he and his wife Jacqueline were hospitalized due to complications from COVID-19 at a hospital in Chicago.
He had two unsuccessful attempts to become the first black president of the United States, and his career has been marked by various controversies.
Jackson was born in Greenville, South Carolina, in October 1941 to a 16-year-old schoolgirl named Helen Burns and her older married neighbor, Noah.
A year later, his mother wed postal worker Charles Jackson, who then adopted the young child.