[ad_1]
Chicago (AP) —A renowned civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate, Rev. Jesse Jackson and his wife, were hospitalized after being tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement on Saturday.
Jesse Jackson, 79, has been vaccinated against the virus and was first vaccinated at an event announced in January. He urged others to get vaccinated as soon as possible. He and his wife, 77, are being treated at the Northwest Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
“Doctors are currently monitoring both conditions,” according to a statement from the Rainbow / Push Union, a non-profit organization of Jesse Jackson.
“There are no more updates at this time, and we will provide them as they become available,” the statement said.
Rev. Martin Luther King’s disciple, Jesse Jackson, played an important role in guiding the modern civil rights movement on many issues, including voting rights.
Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Jackson remains active and advocates a COVID-19 vaccine for blacks who are lagging behind whites in the US vaccination drive. Earlier this month, he was arrested outside the US Capitol during a demonstration calling on Congress to end filibuster in support of voting rights.
[ad_2]