Jesse Jackson struck by Parkinson’s disease

America’s foremost civil rights leader, The Rev. Jesse Jackson disclosed publicly Friday that he has been seeking outpatient care for two years for Parkinson’s disease and plans to “dedicate” himself to physical therapy.

This comes after a journalist accused him of sexual harassment.

In a letter to supporters on Friday, the 76-year-old civil rights icon said family and friends noticed a change in him about three years ago and he could no longer ignore symptoms of the chronic neurological disorder that causes movement difficulties.


“Recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful, and I have been slow to grasp the gravity of it,” he wrote.
“For me, a Parkinson’s diagnosis is not a stop sign but rather a signal that I must make lifestyle changes and dedicate myself to physical therapy in hopes of slowing the disease’s progression.”
Jackson also released a Northwestern Medicine letter saying he was diagnosed in 2015 and has since sought outpatient care.
Jackson vowed to use his voice to help find a cure for the disease. He declined an interview Friday.

Jackson noted Parkinson’s “bested my father.” Noah Lewis Robinson Sr. died in 1997 at age 88 after suffering a heart attack.