Civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson and his wife Jacqueline were hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19, according to a statement by the family.
The 79-year-old is vaccinated against the virus and the pair are being treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, the Jackson’s son, Jonathan, said in a statement. It is not clear whether Jacqueline Jackson has been vaccinated.
“Both are resting comfortably and are responding positively to treatments,” he said.
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“We ask that you continue to pray for our parents for the full recovery of our parents,” the statement continued. We will continue to update you on a regular basis.”
The civil rights leader, who has advocated for coronavirus vaccines and battled vaccine hesitancy among Black communities, was vaccinated alongside Kizzmekia Corbett from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease in January.
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“We know our history, and we understand from where this hesitancy comes,” Corbett told the Chicago Sun-Times. “On the one hand, we are the communities most plagued by the pandemic. On the other hand, we are communities least likely to get vaccinated.”
Jackson remains a prominent advocate for voting rights and other social justice causes despite his diagnosis with Parkinsons. He was among around 200 people arrested protesting over stalled voting legislation at the Capitol earlier in August.
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