Jesse Jackson dead: Civil rights icon dies aged 84
What to know about progressive supranuclear palsy after Jesse Jackson’s death
- Rev. Jesse Jackson, the legendary civil rights activist, was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy before his death at age 84 on Tuesday.
- Jackson died peacefully surrounded by his family but a cause of death was not immediately released. His organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, said in 2025 that Jackson had been diagnosed with PSP, also called Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome.
- Jackson was originally thought to have Parkinson’s for years before his diagnosis was confirmed. PSP is “a rare neurological disorder that affects body movements, walking and balance, and eye movements,” according to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
- Jackson was hospitalized in November to regulate his blood pressure. His family denied reports at the time that claimed he was on life support.
- His health also prevented him from attending his 84th birthday celebrations in Chicago in October.
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