Michael Jackson dead at 50

25 June 2009 ~ 12 Comments

Uncategorized

I know this is not hair-related but Michael Jackson is a big part of global Black culture.

TMZ is reporting that Michael Jackson is dead at 50. I hope to God that this isn’t true. I’m watching major news networks now, and they’re talking as though he’s dead.

***update… the Wall Street Journal, CBS News and the LA Times are now saying that he’s dead. CNN is saying he’s in a coma.***
***update… CNN hasn’t confirmed officially, but is saying that Michael Jackson is dead.***

I cannot believe this. Michael Jackson impacted me deeply — he was a beautiful person and a genius, but unable to accept and embrace the fact that he was black. But now is not the time for analysis. Now is the time to mourn. Rest in peace Michael Jackson.

12 Responses to “Michael Jackson dead at 50”

Anonymous 25 June 2009 at 10:48 pm Permalink

I can't believe it. I just can't. I know it's true, but…still. I kinda want to cry. That man was, despite whatever craziness he had, a musical genius. Pure. Genius. He will be missed.

I am now curious as to how the BET awards are going to be on Sunday…

Reply
Yuki 25 June 2009 at 11:53 pm Permalink

In shock.

Reply
Eva 25 June 2009 at 11:56 pm Permalink

Its such a tragedy, I've just being writing about it and my thoughts are disjointed and confused because I'm still in shock. I couldn't even spell properly.

I hope he finds peace in the next life.

Reply
Miss Malorie 26 June 2009 at 12:30 am Permalink

It is a shocking thing… I feel so badly for him… he seemed (I just wrote "seems") :(, like such a soft soul… and as another soft-souled person who frequently feels misunderstood and who often feels the pressure to be harder in order to protect myself against the hardness of the world, I really really hope that he finally finds the softness of peace in the next life that his time on Earth probably could not reward him with… :(

He will be sorely missed…

Reply
Black girl with long hair 26 June 2009 at 12:38 am Permalink

@ everyone… yeh, i'm just in COMPLETE shock right now. my mom grew up in detroit during the motown era, and even though she married a caribbean man and raised us in kingston, jamaica, she still spoke fondly of motown artists, as though they were her family.

michael did live a very tragic life. and i'm not going to really get deep into this right now, but michael is another example of how the american entertainment complex can really fuck with people's psyches and push them to do extreme things. he was a gift to america, his genius was birthed in this country, and it TROUBLES me DEEPLY that he felt pressured to look white. that he didn't feel good enough IN HIS OWN COUNTRY with dark skin and nappy hair. i know some of the reasons for lightening his skin had to do with his skin disease… but it went deeper than that.

as soon as he become more odd and erratic, the same press (composed of many of the people he wanted to look like) that once worshipped him quickly devoured him. i think he really was misunderstood in many ways. and he is gone too soon.

i know he's not here on earth, and i don't know exactly where he is now. but i hope he is in a peaceful place.

Reply
jenteel 26 June 2009 at 2:13 am Permalink

you said it all lei….

i hope his soul is at peace <3

Reply
Alicia 26 June 2009 at 11:46 am Permalink

It is almost unreal. Well, I'm sure we'll all be watching Michael Jackson videos tonight. I just hope the media doesn't rip him apart talking about all his troubles and problems he's been facing. I'd rather remember him for the great artist he was, rather than focus on his failures/issues. May he rest in peace.

Reply
serenissima 26 June 2009 at 1:42 pm Permalink

oh this hurts me… I cried all day when I heard the news. I was in shock. I couldn't believe it… MJ was a genius and will always be a pop culture icon. So many of my childhood memories are wrapped up in his music… he will be sorely missed.

Reply
Lina40 27 June 2009 at 12:45 am Permalink

still in disbelief.. he was an innovator in every sense of the word..wow… i dont even know what to say.. he was an original. I pray he is at peace with himself now.

Reply
Anonymous 27 June 2009 at 2:07 pm Permalink

I'm stunned and deeply moved by his sudden death.
Michael Jackson was a musical prodigy!

He will be much missed!

Ps: I just want to add that no one pressured him on becoming white. He himself claimed of having suffered from a skin disorder known as vitiligo. I do believe it for recently i have seen a black woman with very large white spots all over her skin, and especially on her face.

-A big fan of MJ and of your blog from France.

Reply
Shandra E...*the misses 14 July 2009 at 1:53 am Permalink

i have seen videos where Michael Jackson himself proclaims he knows he's Black when he looks in the mirror & how much he is proud of his race?! you stated he was "unable to accept and embrace the fact that he was black" and then neglected the assumption/analysis made???….hmmm….i'm not so sure he was "unable" to accept he was black; i'm more convinced he was ashamed of being Joe Jackson's son, ashamed and afraid that he'd look more & more like him?!! when asked why she thinks her brother's image has changed so much throughout the yrs., Latoya jackson stated he was trying to "avoid" becoming like their father; he didn't want to be or look anything like him"!!

My sister is the most beautiful chocolate girl…out of all of us she's the "darkest" & she's the only one who has been "sure" since childhood, that she would never want/marry a black man!! ….her reason…..has more to do with our dad than anything else.

So yes, i agree there is defintely more analysis to be made about MJ, and i'll even admit that in order for a black person to avoid, deny, and neglect aspects of their "blackness", even if the view is distorted because of one corrupt person….there must be some kind of self hatred dormant within the heart!! HOWEVER, i realize that these kind of people have more SELF hatred (in a truely Literal sense) than anything else…it's almost as if it's okay for other people to be black, they love & admire black on someone else, but for them, Black is just not acceptable! Michael even stated before that "east indians are some of the most beautiful people in the world and the darker they are, the more beautiful"…mind you he stated that when he was still "dark" himself!! yet later he told Oprah he couldn't wash his own face with the lights on because he's not happy with what he looks like???…lol…so really, it's a really Warped/twisted and sad world within the minds of people like that….Michael was indeed a beautiful person as you stated; i've Loved him always & he IS missed…

more than anything, i always saw him as a beautiful man with a big heart yet that heart had such a vacancy that was longing to be filled and only professional counseling and God could begin to mend the fragments of his brokeness…

Reply
MJL 22 August 2009 at 7:02 pm Permalink

How can you write that??? What gives you the authority to talk as if you knew him??????????? DID YOU KNOW HIM PERSONALY???? HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT HE DID NOT ACCEPT THE FACT THAT HE WAS BLACK? AS HE said: "don´t judje a person before you know them". And there is no one person of those who ACTUALLY KNEW him who say what you are saying. Don't you think that that mus mean something? Please don't ever talk about him and acuse him of denying his race SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU DID NOT KNOW HIM. So you have no right to talk about him like that.

Reply