Va postez acest comentariu ,al unui fan ,samhabib,(de pe MJJCommunity),deoarece cred ca arata tare bine modul in care Michael lupta pentru oamenii de culoare si isi respecta originea.
I've been online discussing 'Black or White' with a few friends over the last few days and thought I'd post my observations here... a friend of mine opened my eyes to the significance of the opening verse and the rest just flowed from there. I can't believe that the significance of the line "Boy, is that girl with you?" passed me by for 19 years. I'm a political animal but just didn't see what that meant.
Michael Jackson, the biggest black luminary of all time chose to launch one of his most commercially successful albums with a song about racism that begins with the line "I took my baby on a Saturday bang. "Boy, is that girl with you?". "Yes, we're one and the same".
That verse represents a conversation he's having with a racist who is offended at the sight of a black man with a white girl. The word "boy" is a racial slur. A word that racists used in reference to their black slaves. It's the word that alleged KKK member and alleged racist Tom Sneddon used when questioning black superstar Chris Tucker on the stand during Michael's trial - "If you're a good boy". Would he refer to Russel Crowe like that? Who knows...
Later in the video Michael sings "I ain't scared of no sheets" while bursting through imagery of a KKK meeting. The "sheets" being a reference to the Ku Klux Klan white sheet clothing.
The video ends with Michael destroying racist graffiti including the slogans "nigger go home", "no more wetbacks", swastika images and finally "KKK rules". After he does that he morphs onto a black panther. A BLACK PANTHER!!!! Do you know who the Black Panthers are???
That, my friends, makes that song (and video) a HUGE political statement. It means that when Michael Jackson was the biggest star on the planet he had something very important to say. It means that Black or White is not JUST a fantastic pop record. It means it was also a political masterpiece. Lady Gaga can song "oh-la ooh-la-laaa"... Michael Jackson sings "I ain't scared of no sheets". Absolutely amazing.
Black or White was the biggest video premiere in the history of our planet. No artist before or since had the platform that Michael Jackson did. Michael chose THAT moment to launch THAT message. To me, he used to be the greatest. Now that my eyes have been opened he's the double greatest!
Muhammad Ali has always been my hero - not just because he was the greatest heavyweight of all time. But because, when he had a platform, he had something important to say.
But this??? This is just incredible. It elevates Michael Jackson even higher, if possible, in my eyes. The man was a genius.
That opening verse comes from the same place as Sam Cooke's verse in 'A Change Is Gonna Come' - THE civil rights record:
"I go to the movie and I go downtown...
Somebody keep tellin me 'Don't hang around'.
Sam Cooke, "A Change Is Gonna Come'
It's the same line, different era.
I've been blown away by this realisation. I've been a fan for almost 30 years and this has just blown me away. I thought the guy was great. I didn't realise how great.
Michael Jackson, may God bless you.
Michael Jackson, the biggest black luminary of all time chose to launch one of his most commercially successful albums with a song about racism that begins with the line "I took my baby on a Saturday bang. "Boy, is that girl with you?". "Yes, we're one and the same".
That verse represents a conversation he's having with a racist who is offended at the sight of a black man with a white girl. The word "boy" is a racial slur. A word that racists used in reference to their black slaves. It's the word that alleged KKK member and alleged racist Tom Sneddon used when questioning black superstar Chris Tucker on the stand during Michael's trial - "If you're a good boy". Would he refer to Russel Crowe like that? Who knows...
Later in the video Michael sings "I ain't scared of no sheets" while bursting through imagery of a KKK meeting. The "sheets" being a reference to the Ku Klux Klan white sheet clothing.
The video ends with Michael destroying racist graffiti including the slogans "nigger go home", "no more wetbacks", swastika images and finally "KKK rules". After he does that he morphs onto a black panther. A BLACK PANTHER!!!! Do you know who the Black Panthers are???
That, my friends, makes that song (and video) a HUGE political statement. It means that when Michael Jackson was the biggest star on the planet he had something very important to say. It means that Black or White is not JUST a fantastic pop record. It means it was also a political masterpiece. Lady Gaga can song "oh-la ooh-la-laaa"... Michael Jackson sings "I ain't scared of no sheets". Absolutely amazing.
Black or White was the biggest video premiere in the history of our planet. No artist before or since had the platform that Michael Jackson did. Michael chose THAT moment to launch THAT message. To me, he used to be the greatest. Now that my eyes have been opened he's the double greatest!
Muhammad Ali has always been my hero - not just because he was the greatest heavyweight of all time. But because, when he had a platform, he had something important to say.
But this??? This is just incredible. It elevates Michael Jackson even higher, if possible, in my eyes. The man was a genius.
That opening verse comes from the same place as Sam Cooke's verse in 'A Change Is Gonna Come' - THE civil rights record:
"I go to the movie and I go downtown...
Somebody keep tellin me 'Don't hang around'.
Sam Cooke, "A Change Is Gonna Come'
It's the same line, different era.
I've been blown away by this realisation. I've been a fan for almost 30 years and this has just blown me away. I thought the guy was great. I didn't realise how great.
Michael Jackson, may God bless you.
multumim, iulia!
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