Civil rights stalwart Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. has opened up about his 2015 Parkinson's diagnosis Friday, Nov. 17, spurring an outpouring of support from other figures in the black community.

For two long years, Jackson has hidden his diagnosis from the public in order to keep the focus on his Rainbow Push Coalition and the long-lasting fight for voting rights. The 76-year-old said his diagnosis came "after a battery of tests" and that his father also suffered from the incurable disease.

"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," he wrote in a letter to the supporters and the public.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement, can lead to tremors, rigid muscles, loss of movement and speech change. But Jackson has no plans of slowing down.

"I steadfastly affirm that I would rather wear out than rust out," Jackson proclaimed.

Jackson has been a pillar in the fight for civil rights since the early days of the movement alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. Senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997.

All while having a career in politics, Jackson ran his Rainbow/Push Coalition which served as an organization advocating for the rights of disenfranchised groups – specifically black people.

In his letter, he promises to continue his work as an activist and the legacy of MLK despite the diagnosis as well as bring awareness about Parkinson's.

"I will continue to try to instill hope in the hopeless, expand our democracy to the disenfranchised and free innocent prisoners around the world," he wrote. "I'm also spending some time working on my memoir so I can share with others the lessons I have learned in my life of public service. I steadfastly affirm that I would rather wear out than rust out. "

Supporters and fans can read Jackson's full statement here.

Parkinson's Diagnosis

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