Baptist Pastor Jackson has been a leader of the American civil rights movement since the 1960s, when he paraded alongside Martin Luther King while helping to raise funds for the cause. He was the most famous African American to run for President of the United States, with two failed attempts to win the Democratic Party nomination in the 1980s, until the arrival of Barack Obama in 2009 .

The Reverend, who served as US President Bill Clinton’s envoy to Africa, was awarded France’s highest order of merit, the Legion of Honor, in July by French President Emmanuel Macron. Jesse Jackson, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, was hospitalized in August after testing positive for Covid-19 despite being vaccinated in January.

Jackson, 80, was injured in a fall while helping student protesters at Howard University on Monday but is “doing well”, Santita Jackson wrote on Twitter alongside a news article.

“Family, he’s resting comfortably & doing well: we thank u 4 ur prayers! Fighting 4 u is what he’ll always do,” she said.

Baptist minister Jackson has been a civil rights leader since the 1960s, when he marched with Martin Luther King and helped fundraise for the cause.

He was the most prominent African American to run for the US presidency — with two unsuccessful attempts to capture the Democratic Party nomination in the 1980s — until Barack Obama took the office in 2009.

Media reports citing a spokesperson for Jackson said he tripped and fell, cutting his head when he entered a building at the university campus where he was meeting students about sub-standard conditions in their residence halls.

He was then transported to Howard University Hospital for medical tests and kept overnight for observation.

Jackson, who has Parkinson’s disease, was hospitalized in August after testing positive for Covid-19, despite having been vaccinated.

He received his jabs in January, putting out a statement at the time urging Black Americans, among whom there is a higher rate of vaccine hesitancy, to get the shot.

The civil rights icon, who served as US president Bill Clinton’s envoy to Africa, was awarded France’s highest order of merit, the Legion of Honour, by French President Emmanuel Macron in July.