The Rev. Jesse Jackson, 79, and wife Jacqueline, 77, were admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, NBC Chicago reported.
Anyone who has been around either person in the last five to six days is advised to quarantine in line with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, according to Rainbow PUSH.
Mentored by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jackson (who has run for president) was key in guiding the modern civil-rights movement on numerous issues, including voting rights. Jackson has remained active, most recently advocating for COVID-19 vaccines for Black people, who lag behind white individuals in the United States’ vaccination drive.
On Aug. 22, Jesse Jackson Jr. posted on Facebook beneath a photo of his parents, “Thank you all so much for every kind expression. There are so many that we cannot personally say thank each of you enough. These two young people right here for 57 years have loved and looked out for each other. God wants them, I believe, to endure this one together.
“With all of the air and oxygen that God has given us to breathe, watching someone you love struggle to get some, is very hard. Get Vaccinated and put on your mask. Please continue to pray for us.”