There were many heartfelt eulogies for the late Michael Jackson at his public memorial service in LA yesterday. Motown Records’ founder, Berry Gordy, raised the pop king’s status to “the greatest entertainer that ever lived”. And who was not touched when Paris bade her love to “the best father you could ever imagine”? What many took for granted or pursued was the accolade Reverend Al Sharpton bequeathed upon Michael. Beyond his iconic stardom and humanity, the pastor delved into the significant role Mr. Jackson played in the pursuit of racial harmony: “In the music world, he put on one glove, pulled his pants up and broke down the color curtain.”
Michael Jackson’s sociopolitical contributions were seamlessly embedded in his captivating musical genius and intriguing public persona, and unfairly obscured by his much scrutinized and demonized personal life. It is obvious that Michael’s work drew quick acceptance, strong appeal and resilient popularity across racial and cultural boundaries. What slipped our due appreciation is how far-reaching and deeply transforming the impact of that gift has been.
I plead guilty expecting the memorial would turn into a circus that would be less of a service and more a concert extravaganza that would eventually turn into an enduring revenue stream. I also admit bracing for a rabid, conflagrant sermon from Al Sharpton, given his unfair pronouncements at the Apollo Theater days earlier that the media was biased in their coverage of the late star’s demise. But, alas, I am a cynic. And so how happy I was that the service didn’t turn out as I had foreshadowed.
Yesterday’s memorial service was reverent, a befitting tribute to a great musician and entertainer that Michael was. In Reverend Sharpton's eulogy, he effectively funneled our attention from the fire-and-brimstone circus—and, notably, from his own emblematic advocacy. With forceful brevity and didactic solemnity, the pastor pointed us to the bare essence of a man who singularly championed racial harmony with his God-given talent and sheer will.
“It was Michael Jackson who brought Blacks, Whites, Asians and Latinos together. It was Michael Jackson who made us sing ‘we are the world’ and ‘feed he hungry’ long before Live Aid…. He created a comfort level where people that felt they were separate became interconnected with his music. It was that comfort level that kids from Japan and Ghana and France and Iowa and Pennsylvania got comfortable enough with each other.”
From the very first time Michael Jackson caught our attention at his ripe age of eight, through the time he spread his wings to capture our hearts with his music and persona, up to the time his rich and fascinating life drew to an end, and still kept us all at the edge of our seats, the world we live in has truly changed. I look back and confess that I myself have changed—now perhaps somewhat less cynical, more likely quoting the Reverend Al, most definitely finding greater comfort in this new world—thanks to the king.