One year ago today

Since the passing of one of the world’s most influential entertainers on Thursday, June 25, I’ve had mixed emotions. I am an arts and entertainment reporter and I knew that I would have to cover this story. I would have to keep all my emotions in check while writing about Michael Jackson, making sure my prejudices against persons accused of pedophilia would not unduly influence my reporting.

Needless to say, I understand the feelings that others in our country and around the world have had regarding Mr. Michael Jackson. But some unexpected things happened that have shifted my perspective.

A Black Man's Perspective...

When Michael Jackson died, I saw my strong, educated, brilliant husband (who is himself a Black Man) start to crumble a bit. Jackson’s death really shook him. I admit that his unexpected death stopped me in my tracks too initially, but my husband’s grief was something I wasn’t prepared for. Why did Michael Jackson mean so much to him, especially when my beloved husband knew my own private battles with surviving abuse?

He told me stories how as he was growing up a little black boy in Ohio that every adult and child in his neighborhood would run to the nearest television set every time the Jackson Five were on. How he would see other Black people on television that looked just like him and how that made him feel…important, special, extraordinary.

Obviously, as a white woman, I can’t relate to that experience of my husband’s. I’ve always seen white people prominently displayed on television my whole life. But did that revelatory experience for my husband and for other African-American people in our country completely override the fact that Michael Jackson was accused of vicious, unforgivable acts of molesting innocent children?

I wasn’t yet convinced. (Let me stop you here. I know that a person is innocent until proven guilty and that Jackson was fully acquitted on all charges. But that doesn’t always erase the distrust and suspicion that continues to follow a former suspect of crimes against children.)

Business as usual...

So I continued to cover the death of Michael Jackson: I wrote about the stunning allegations from his former nanny (which were later recanted), his mother Katherine receiving custody of his three children, the upcoming funeral and memorial details. I even began to write about some of Jackson’s fans who contacted me, asking me to tell their stories of how much they loved him. And I did. But my mind wasn’t changed.

On Monday, July 6, I was taking a short break from the excessive Michael Jackson coverage and wanted to watch The View. While I rarely get to watch this program (it interferes with my four-year-old daughter’s viewing of Sesame Street), I decided to tune in and hear what the ladies had to say about Jackson’s death.

What Whoopi Said...

Whoopi Goldberg spoke about how she met Michael Jackson and how other people would often ask, “Would you let your child near Michael Jackson?” And what she said surprised me. She said, “Yes.”

She said, “Yes, I would leave my child with Michael Jackson and I did leave my child with Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson would never hurt a child.” And that floored me.

Whoopi is a feminist woman who speaks the truth and if I could be anyone in the world, it would probably be her. When she made the statement that she believed Michael Jackson was innocent--that impacted me. I knew Whoopi wouldn’t bulls**t the public. She wouldn’t say Jackson was innocent if she knew that he was a danger to children. She wouldn’t say this because she and Jackson are the same race. Whoopi said what she said because she knew it to be 100% true.

What Jackson's Mother Said...

Later that evening, I’m watching an entertainment news show and I see an old clip of Michael Jackson’s mother speaking about her son’s innocence during the aforementioned court trial. What she said made me stop in my tracks and do an about-face. Katherine Jackson said that if her son truly molested a child, would that child's parents take money to be quiet? She asked the interviewer if their child were assaulted, would they go away quietly with a pocket full of cash? And I realized the answer is NO.

As a mother of two children, I can absolutely say that if either of my children were molested, you couldn’t pay me $1 billion dollars to go away. It would be my “job” to make sure that every person on the planet knew who molested my child and that that person spent the rest of their miserable lives in prison. No amount of money could ever make it okay that someone did the unthinkable to my child.

A Revelation...

After that revelation, I began to process the whole “Michael Jackson is still a child abuser” angle as one that didn’t make any sense. Maybe, just maybe, Michael Jackson has been innocent this whole time. And if so, imagine the horrendous pain and suffering he endured from an unsympathetic public who didn’t want to ever let him forget what he had been accused of.

So I ask the public, especially those who may not be convinced of his innocence still, to please let this gifted man finally…finally…rest in peace. Release all of your grudges, your suspicions, and your convictions even and let the trash-talking of Michael cease.

At the very least, we can offer forgiveness. And perhaps some apologies are in order as well. The time for judgment is over and the time for resting in utter peace has begun.

God bless…