The Michael Jackson Legacy

It has now been a couple of days since the Michael Jackson memorial service at the Staples Center in LA and the world is still not in agreement on what his legacy would be. Some people believe history will record that MJ was a pervert, a child molester, a deranged lunatic and an African American who was so embarrassed about being black that he did everything money could buy to have skin surgery performed on him so that he could look white. They even argue that his three children (Michael Joseph Jr, Paris Michael Katherine and Prince Michael II) do not look like children between a black man and a white woman. They all have long hair and look so white that it is "obvious" that he is not the father. They believe he distastes the notion of the black race that he used white sperm donors to have white children born for him.

Of course the allegations that he molested young boys who spent nights at his ranch and his "eccentric" behaviours in public have led many to believe that Michael was indeed a deranged man who needed psychiatric help. Who would forget the pictures of MJ dangling a baby from the window of the Adlon Hotel room window (Berlin, Germany) in November 2002.
It was however very clear from the sentiments expressed by the many speakers at MJ's memorial service, that his friends want him to be remembered for other things besides the negatives. They highlighted his great humanitarian and charity activities. Of course they also highlighted the fact that he was probably the greatest musical entertainer that ever lived up to this day.

It is possible that the world might never agree on the final verdict, but one thing is very clear i.e. Michael Jackson and his music transcended many boundaries, broke down barriers and appealed to the world like no other musician had done before.

Over the 40 years of his musical life, MJ appealed to various cultures and managed to bring people of different backgrounds, political persuasions and geographical locations together.

In the middle of the cold war, young people from communist Russia, East Germany, Romania or Poland danced to Michael Jackson songs like their age mates in the USA, UK or Japan. Somehow this young black musician from the capitalist USA spoke the language young people growing up in societies that indoctrinated them to consider the west as evil, could understand.

MJ appealed to young people in the Moslem world. Although Islam considered and taught that the western culture was decadent and MJ was a personification of that immorality, Michael was still adored (sometimes secretly) by young people in the Islam world.

Michael Jackson appealed to young people in the middle of the African continent. Michael Jackson and Coca-Cola were the two USA products that penetrated into the most remote parts of Africa like nothing else could do.

All around the world, at high school parties (especially in the 1980s and 1990s) the music of MJ could be heard. Whether in China or Chad or Chile. Whether in Berlin or Bogota or Bamako.

Given the controversy around the cause of his death and the issues around his estate (there will be a protracted court case) it will be a while until the final chapter of his life is written down. It looks like MJ is a controversial in death as he was in life.

But I hope that when everything is said and done, there will be at least a line which says that Michael Jackson was a musician who managed to do what world leaders failed to do, namely appeal to people across cultures, boundaries and ideologies.