Renowned civil rights activist Jesse Jackson and his wife Jacqueline remained hospitalized at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago on Monday after testing positive for COVID-19. Despite the severe diagnosis, they are said to be resting comfortably and are being closely monitored due to their age.
Jesse and Jacqueline’s son Jonathan released a statement reassuring the public that his parents are responding positively to their treatments. “We are ever mindful that COVID-19 is a serious disease, and we ask that you continue in prayer for my parents, as we remain prayerful for yours,” he commented.
Former presidential candidate and beloved Baptist minister Jesse is no stranger to health woes, having declared in 2017 that he had been detected with Parkinson’s disease. Despite his diagnosis, he has remained active and made appearances throughout the pandemic to encourage members of the black community to get vaccinated. After Jesse received his first dose in January 2021 at a community hospital on Chicago’s South Side, he urged others, particularly Black people, to get vaccinated for COVID-19. “Take the vaccination,” he said. “Now.”
News about the couple’s health has been coming directly from their son Jonathan, who keeps the associated press updated on his parent’s condition. For now, further news of Jackson and his wife’s prognosis and possible recovery is not forthcoming. The updates from their son indicate that their condition remains treatable, with a positive outcome looking likely.
Jesse was previously hospitalized in February of this year when he underwent gall-bladder surgery. The seventy-nine-year-old received praises for his ability to bounce back post-operation and return to his activism quickly. The leader has been influential in highlighting that many of America’s unvaccinated adults are from the black community, and he has been vocal in encouraging them to get vaccinated.
