“Did Michael Jackson hate being a Black Man? “
"I love being Black. I am proud of my race. I have pride and dignity" Michael Jackson,
Do actions speak louder than words? Not necessarily because it is with words that we interpret action and
give that action meaning after the fact. We can let the racist press interpret Michael's actions or we can let
the man speak for himself.
Ebony: Did your travels have any influence on the way
you think about races of people?
“I don’t understand racism. We are all the same and I
have the perfect hypothesis to prove it. I play to all those
countries and they cry in all the same places in my show.
They laugh in the same places. They become hysterical
in the same places. They faint in the same places and
that’s the perfect hypothesis. There is a commonality that
we
are
all
the
same.”Michael
Jackson
Michael: The main thing that I hate most is ignorance,
like the prejudice problems of America. I know it is worse
in some other countries. But I wish I could borrow, like
from Venezuela or Trinidad, the real love of color-blind
people and bring it to America.
Ebony: You are making some observations with intense
feelings. Please continue.
"(Racism:) It is cruelty, it´s ugly and I hate it. You are
my brother (points out to the children). They are my
brothers. If you are black, white, Arab....we are all the
same. I love all races equally.... I love all people of the
world."
Michael Jackson, TV Interview with children in Tunisia,
1996
Michael: I’m prejudiced against ignorance. That's what
I’m mainly prejudiced against. It’s only ignorance and it’s
taught because it’s not genetic at all. The little children in
those [countries] aren’t prejudiced. I would like for you to
put this in quotes, too. I’m really not a prejudiced person
at all. I believe that people should think about God more
and creation …. Look at the many wonders inside the
human body – the different colors of organs, colors of
blood – and all these different colors do a different thing
in the human body. It’s the most incredible system in the
world; it makes an incredible building, the human being.
And if this can happen with the human body, why can’t
we do it as people? And that’s how I feel. And that’s why I
wish the world could do more. That’s the only thing I hate.
I really do.
This one especially caught my eye……….
“I´m proud of my heritage. I´m proud of it. I´m proud to
be black. I´m honored to be black, and I just hope one
day they will be fair in portraying me the way I really,
really am….just a loving, peaceful guy wanting to
make wonderful, unprecedented entertainment and songs
and music and film for the world. That´s all I want to do.
I´m no threat. I just want to do that. That´s what I want to
do. To bring joy to the world.”
Michael Jackson in a Steve Harvey radio interview in
Ebony: What you have just said is not only compassionate but compelling. How do you communicate such feelings since you don’t make public appearances to express
your views in public forums?
"It doesn't matter which blood or race or creed or color.
Love is love and it breaks all boundaries and you just
see it right away." Michael Jackson
Michael: I try to write, put it in song. Put it in dance. Put it
in my art to teach the world. If politicians can’t do it, I want
to do it. We have to do it. Artists, put it in paintings. Poets,
put it in poems, novels. That’s what we have to do. And I
think it’s so important to save the world.
Why would we not believe the words from the
man himself?
Anonymous
Ebony magazine interview, 1984
Michael Jackson talks about his appearance and changing skin
color
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulQTZ7C4Tgw
Michael Jackson interview with Oprah Winfrey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCHf2yhhFUg
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