Definition: The Realities of Racism

The physical, emotional, social, financial and psychological effects that permeate all aspects of the “dissed,” the victim’s, perceptions and responses to life, for life. In other words, what it feels like, looks like, smells like, and is/does, daily to those who are victims of its insidious, unrelenting, and painful presence impacting every aspect of their lives. 

I am and have been a fan on the Jackson family since I was 18 years old and saw their early performances in the night clubs of Chicago when they were still very young children. I just completed reading LaToya’s book, “Starting Over,” and was struck by her sincerity, concern, determination and fear as she pursues her quest for the truth of her brother, Michael’s, death.

In honor of Michael’s birth month and mine I am devoting this month’s posting to writings about he and his family that profoundly support this blog’s perspective on American Racism.

This is posted out of – LOVE – for Michael.

  

Realities of Racism

A Case Study

 

MICHAEL JACKSON IS DEAD BUT RACISM LIVES ON

 

MICHAEL JACKSON died.

I feel like my childhood, my naivety, and my innocence died with him.

I remember how we Chicagoans proudly cheered and rejoiced when theJackson’s moved out ofGary,Indianato the promised land ofCalifornia.

They had hit the big time. They had escaped. They were successful. We just didn’t know then just how big and how successful they would become.

But we all had hopes for them and they gave us all hope for our own futures.

Joe Jackson was our hero. He had made it happen. He had taken his family away from poverty, racism and the hopelessness of being Black inAmerica.

MICHAEL JACKSON died.

I now feel that I must talk about the pain and shame of being Black inAmerica.

I too have not always been proud ofAmerica.

I must talk about racism. I must scream. I must cry. I must curse

Racism hurts.

It hurts very badly.

It is sharp and it is constant.

It‘s effect lingers long after its attack.

You learn to feel ugly. You learn to feel like “less.” You learn to feel ashamed.

You learn to be afraid,

And mostly you learn to be angry about it all.

I learned because I was taught. I was taught at home. I was taught at school.

And I was taught by America whenever I walked out of the front door of my house.

 MICHAEL JACKSON died.

Michael, the wonderful, Michael, god’s gift, Michael, the generous, Michael, the talented, Michael, the humanitarian, Michael, the international Super Star,

and Michael, the damaged poor little Colored boy fromGary,Indianasuffered from racism. Michael, like me and most of us then in the 50’s and early 60’s, learned to feel ugly, learned to feel like “less,” learned to be ashamed, learned to be afraid,  learned to be angry and mostly, to be deeply hurt.Americadid and does that still to us.America, with its singular measure of beauty looked at him and called him ugly so he changed himself. America looked at him and called him Wacko Jacko, said that he was “different,” that he was “strange” and made him seem somehow like “less.”Americalooked at him and called him “a pervert” and made him feel ashamed even after a full 100% acquittal on all charges.Americamade him so angry he leftAmerica.

Through it all MICHEAL JACKSON lived what looked like from the outside, to us, a glamorous life,

DEEPLY HURT.

 

Michael Jackson died

And RACISM HURTS.

It hurts the rich and the poor.

It hurts the famous and the unknown.

It hurts the light skinned and the dark skinned.

It hurts the children and the adults.

It hurts the straight haired and the nappy haired with straight and wide noses.

It hurts Coloreds, Negroes, Blacks and African Americans equally and deeply.

It emotionally, psychologically and physically hurts.

 

Michael Jackson died

MICHAEL JACKSON, of all people,

MICHAEL JACKSON WHO HAD EVERYTHING ANY OF US COULD EVER HOPE TO ACHIEVE BY OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS,

WHO WROTE AND SANG ABOUT LOVE FOR EACH OTHER, FREEDOM FOR ALL, A HEALTHY PLANET, AND JOY AND HOPE FOR ALL OF OUR FUTURES,

WHO GAVE GENEROUSLY IN LIFE AND NOW EVEN IN DEATH is dead.

And ME,

I am so tired of hurting for myself and for my Michaels.

 

MICHAEL JACKSON died

MICHAEL, dear Michael, doesn’t have to hurt anymore,

although the racist commentary on him continues.

Americamust want to hurt even his memory. “Just Leave Me (Him) Alone.”

 MICHAEL JACKSON, even in death, must still control too much.

So much controversy about who CONTROLS MICHAEL’S estate, heaven forbid that the Black Family, the Jacksons, Katherine Jackson and Joe Jackson, could/would make decisions and CONTROL Billions like the (John) Lennon’s and the (Elvis) Presley’s do, much less without “white” advice/direction/CONTROL.

 

June 28, 2009

 

 

 

Out of –LOVE– please comment below on what I, you, and each of us can do to lessen the personal effects of racism on all of us. How can each one of us keep our Michael’s, our children, ourselves, and each other from having to experience this pain? (Psychological)

SOLUTIONS?

Fame, success, hard work, charity and fortune apparently are not enough, in America.

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