It Don’t Matter If You’re Black or White

By Crystal Laramore

By now we’ve all had time to mourn the death of a music icon. By now we’ve heard enough about this and enough about that. Sometimes it’s sad that we are in a world where ALL you hear for days on end is about someone’s private life. I’d much rather be watching 24 hour music videos starring Michael Jackson (as a Tribute) than I would be watching 24 hour scandalous and titillating not-so-news stories. There will be plenty of time to discuss the mans dark side in the coming months and years, but for now do as your mother says and “If you can’t say anything nice, keep your mouth shut.

Michael Jackson was an entity that defied a definition and certainly defied racial lines. Having said that, I want to say I am appalled at P. Diddy and Jamie Fox for trying to make all the media coverage about Michael Jackson a racial issue. At the BET (which is divisive in nature) Awards P. Diddy and Jamie Fox said things like Michael is our black man and things like we didn’t go on and on about the drug abuse when Elvis died or JFK or Anna Nicole Smith…Hmmm. Yes we did. And still do. And Jamie, how are you defining “we” and why is Michael Jackson your black man and who is making this a racial issue besides you?

Elvis and JFK did not die in the era of shock T.V. when media is streamed into our homes 24/7 on 896 different channels and they have been dead a long time but now you CAN catch all the sordid, gory conspiracy theory stories your brain cells can handle on either one of them.

Anna Nicole Smith did die during the Jerry Springer era and since the public wants it, they gave it to us; 24/7 on 896 different channels. Follow the money baby, follow the money. Anna’s story was attached to Marilyn Monroe’s story and the tie-that-binds filled our television screens not b/c she was white and certainly not because of any God-given talent but because she was sexy, and complicated, and a drug addict, and surrounded by controversy, and sad and…scandalous.

Farrah Fawcett also died during this “I gotta know it all yesterday” era but, at about 3:15 we forgot all about it. Most of us anyway. Why? Because she wasn’t as news-worthy as the latest celeb that had just died. Why? Because she wasn’t scandalous. Follow the money baby, follow the money.

Michael Jackson was many faceted and many things, black happens to be one of them. Moreover, he was an American. Period. End of story.

Michael Jackson is receiving the same inflammatory coverage for many of the same reasons; one of them being because he was, dare I say it, scandalous but, certainly NOT because he was black. Comments like those just create more racism and perpetuate the already existing racism. Stop it.

When MJ was coming out with songs like PYT and Billie Jean and Thriller, oh I wanted him to be my boyfriend. The way that man danced and moved defied physics. That could be a little overstated but by now you all know me, I’m a little overstated! His looks were secondary and the color of that man’s skin did not matter to me or a lot of my friends. We looooooovvvvvveeeeeeed him.

When we (the whole wide world) think of Michael Jackson we have different first impressions. My girlfriend, Dr. Deanna Foster, PHD, said her first impression was “what a broken, sad soul”. She is a psychologist and I am an artist. Makes sense. My girlfriend Vicki Warner likes the song “Dirty Diana”. She says she thinks about “how amazingly talented he was and how sad it was that he never had a childhood and how sad it was about how much pressure was on such a young man”. She never mentioned the color of his skin. Hmmm.

Another friend reminded me that Michael transcended not only race but, even more so, he transcended cultures. He was as popular in Asia as he was in America. Additionally, the man transcended religion. He was raised a Jehovah’s Witness but loved by Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Catholics, Evangelicals, Jews, etc.-equally. And we all probably prayed for him-equally. And bought his music and watched his videos-equally. WE LOVE MICHAEL! We. All of us Jamie. So, YOU don’t go trying to take that away from US.

And Jamie, if you want to get down on someone for beating up Michael, why not start with Eddie Murphy. Or, Chris Rock. His HBO special really trashes Michael. But it was funny. And it was titillating. And the money followed.

So, let’s let the man rest in peace. And let’s also remember Farrah Fawcett. And Ed McMahon. And Billy Mays. And our friends and family who have also passed this week. Let us especially remember our soldiers. God rest all their souls. And God rest the race issue. And God rest the media. And God bless America.

P.S.

It really saddens me that the very people who are trying so desperately to gain equality still look at our country as divided among racial lines. Oh, I agree there are those…but most of the people I know and love, myself included, do not see color first; especially where Michael Jackson is concerned! We see Americans. We see Human Beings.

While we celebrate our independence this year let us celebrate independence from racism. Let us celebrate a God who created us all equal. Let us celebrate each others diversity and sameness. Let us, together, celebrate our talents whether they come from hard work or they are God-given. Let us celebrate our freedom to spew non-sense out into the universe and the freedom of others to condemn it. Let’s celebrate liberty from tyranny. Let’s celebrate democracy. Let’s celebrate that God loved us so much that he gave us entertainers like Michael Jackson to uplift us.

Michael Jackson and his talent certainly belonged to God and his music certainly belongs to the world; the whole wide world. He represented the best in each of us and maybe even the worst in us as every man is flawed and every man a sinner; “And, It don’t matter if you’re black or white”.