Lots being written about the Michael Jackson in these days following his untimely death. Here's just the tip of the iceberg that I've seen:
- VIbe Magazine's Danyel Smith: "He gave himself to the world. And Michael Jackson left nothing but blood on the dance floor."
- The Nation's John Nichols: "He projected into the world (the genius and strength) of African-American culture."
- Nelson George: "Along with Eddie Murphy, Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey, and so many other media legends, Michael made the '80s a golden age for black pop culture."
- An appraisal by the NY Times' Jon Pareles: "In the end, the superstar and the recluse were not so far apart. "
- Vanity Fair's Maureen Orth: Michael Jackson is Gone, But The Sad Facts Remain
- Duke University's Mark Anthony Neal: Dear Michael: Love Letters from Cyberspace
- Author Eisa Ulen: "Even when he pissed us off, we understood him. Who among us doesn't understand internalized self-hatred? Whether we were light or dark, trying to survive in a white neighborhood or trying to survive in the 'hood – we all knew what he was going through."
- Filmmaker Ralph Richardson: "Before Obama, there was Michael Jackson, a talented, welcoming figure that could bring white and black people together. "
- Ebony Magazine's Bryan Monroe's Q&A with Michael from December 2007: Michael on the state of the music business: "I think the answer is just phenomenal, great music. Just reaching the
masses. I think people are still searching. There’s not a real musical
revolution going on right now, either. But when it’s there, people will
break a wall down to get to it. I mean, ‘cause before Thriller, it was
the same kind of thing. People were NOT buying music. It helped to
bring everybody back into the stores. So, when it happens, it happens." - The Rev. Al Sharpton eulogizing Jackson outside the Apollo Theater: "Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color, way before
Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama,"
Sharpton said. "Michael did with music what they later did in sports
and in politics, and in television. And no controversy will erase the
historic impact."
