Black versus White

'But if you are thinking about my baby
It don't matter if you are black or white' - (Black or White by Michael Jackson)

The news media in USA is saturated with stories of Michael Jackson, the 'King of Pop', who died suddenly yesterday. Everybody is unanimous in their acceptance of Jackson as a music icon in the league of ‘Elvis’. However, I notice a big difference in the way the black and the white people talk about him. Blacks are sincere about their love of Michael Jackson, and talk as if they lost someone in their own family. They hardly mention anything about his troubled private life. The others, especially people over 30, has a different take on Michael Jackson. They also talk glowingly about the impact of Jackson songs and music videos in their younger days. However, there is an invariable ‘but’ about Jackson being ‘let go’ of child molestation charges, and his addiction to prescription drugs. (Check this morning T.V. show for an example). The irony is that Michael Jackson looked and acted more like a white person in his life. He lightened his skin, married two white women, and ‘fathered’ three lily white children. I admire how the blacks so easily accept their prodigal sons back to their fold. (Same thing happened with O.J. Simpson!)

I am quite irritated about the tepid reaction of President Obama on the passing of a person who had a major role in breaking the color barrier for him. (I remember Michael Jackson bringing actress Brook Shields as his date in the 1984 Grammy awards, and people feeling that it was Shields who was lucky!)