Re: Michael Forever Tribute/ MJJC Official Statement / Discussion / Estate statement / Fan letter @p
I read your entire post with interest, I just want to reply to one thing though, but that doesn't mean I don't get where you are coming from or that I'm dismissing everything else you said.
See the underlined part of this paragraph - I can only speak for myself, I know that a lot of people out there love their stereotypes (which, for me, is stupidity), I see people as individuals. Or in this case a family as just one family, and there are probably, hopefully some people even in this family, who are not really like the rest or won't be when they get older (I'm not talking about Michael's children, but there are other children/young family members in this family, a family also consists of individuals). Just because they act the way they do would never in a million years make me think that all black people or black families (with money and power or without) are like that. In fact, that thought never even crossed my mind once ever.
Still, I know where you are coming from, like I said, sadly, a lot of people love their stereotypes, and that is one thing that is wrong with this world. What I wanted to tell you is that there are still people in this world who are not like that. Maybe in my case is has to do with my own life experience, you should see my family (and I'm white). And how I'm so different than the rest of them that when I was younger, probably because I felt so lost with them, I thought sometimes that I must be adopted (I knew I wasn't though).
The Jacksons do stand out for me, but because of their actions, not because of their skin color.
Hi, Milka. I'd like to try to address this, although it remains a very touchy subject. I'll do the best I can? People ARE individuals, but that does not mean that CULTURE, and
history, are not also real, and affect people. Yes, there are stereotypes, and we must see through those, to perceive the individuals. However, there is also a HISTORY here, and a legacy. In the U.S., the field is STILL not level for the races. Progress has been made, but not nearly enough. YES, we do have a black president, and that is a lot of progress. But,
it's not OVER. We are not THERE, yet.
There are more black men in prisons, then there are black men in colleges! That is NOT right, and is indicative of a HUGE cultural problem, where the field is still not level, nor equal. In terms of economics,
there is still discrimination and disadvantage. The Jacksons are REAL people, but they were/are also
symbolic of success, and possibilities. It would have been SO much better, if they'd been
exemplary, and had succeeded. But, as we now see, they DIDN'T.
That is an opportunity lost. They have personal and family glitches, that are really, REALLY bad. NOT "racial," nor stereotypical. Just. . .wrong.
Michael was a vanguard human-being, for racial equality. He was the FIRST cross-over artist, on MTV. A BLACK artist. That had NEVER happened before, in this country. He gave so many other people hope, and he broke down barriers. Maybe HE was adopted? He seems not to FIT with that family. They are individuals, but they are also EXAMPLES, like it, or not. That is not a matter of "stereotypes," but HISTORY. Michael was the FIRST black artist, to break down those racial barriers. And THAT is important. One would have hoped, that his family would have behaved well, and would have continued his example of inclusion. In that, they have
failed to carry on Michael's legacy. In a perfect world, it is not right, nor fair, that Michael would have had to work
SO hard, to "cross-over." But, in this country, that was the reality, and he paved the way for so many other black artists, to do the same.
I hope that makes some sense?
Don't believe GLE, they are spinning yarns.
