My Jim Crow Life My Jim Crow Life StoryStory

Written by: Michael Joseph Written by: Michael Joseph JacksonJackson

Early LifeEarly Life

I was born in Gary, I was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29 Indiana on August 29 1958.1958.

My mother, Katherine, is My mother, Katherine, is a devout Jehovah’s a devout Jehovah’s Witness. As much as my Witness. As much as my father, Joseph, tried to father, Joseph, tried to convert he was never convert he was never very religious,very religious,

But my father was a But my father was a strong believer in strong believer in discipline, I remember discipline, I remember many times when he many times when he went to punish us, he went to punish us, he would use a belt or a would use a belt or a cane.cane.

Early CareerEarly Career

I was lucky enough I was lucky enough to gain success as a to gain success as a young child as a young child as a member and leader member and leader of a music group of a music group with my brothers, with my brothers, The Jackson 5The Jackson 5

I also released I also released several solo albums several solo albums and some people and some people refer to me as the refer to me as the “King of Pop”“King of Pop”

My Late and Very Public My Late and Very Public LifeLife

In 1993 I was accused of In 1993 I was accused of child molestation, and I child molestation, and I chose to settle outside of chose to settle outside of court. The accusations court. The accusations were completely false were completely false and the parents were and the parents were doing it entirely for the doing it entirely for the money I gave them.money I gave them.

In 2003 I was then In 2003 I was then accused of drugging a accused of drugging a minor so that I could minor so that I could perform lewd things to perform lewd things to him. I was found him. I was found innocent of all charges.innocent of all charges.

In 2005 I was again In 2005 I was again charged with child charged with child molestation, and again molestation, and again found innocent of all found innocent of all charges against me.charges against me.

My SuccessMy Success

I currently have nine platinum records.I currently have nine platinum records. I have supported more then 39 I have supported more then 39

different charities with money or different charities with money or sponsorship help.sponsorship help.

I hold the record for the most Grammy I hold the record for the most Grammy Awards and American Music Awards Awards and American Music Awards received in one year (eight at each).received in one year (eight at each).

I also hold the record of having the I also hold the record of having the most Billboard awards. I have 26.most Billboard awards. I have 26.

It StartsIt Starts

I may be famous, but even beautiful I may be famous, but even beautiful people need their sleep.people need their sleep.

Tomorrow will be another beautiful Tomorrow will be another beautiful day.day.

Wake Up.Wake Up.

I awoke this I awoke this morning feeling morning feeling quite strange. I quite strange. I rolled out of bed rolled out of bed and found myself and found myself not in my bed, but not in my bed, but on a cot. I am not on a cot. I am not sure how I got sure how I got here, but thinking here, but thinking back I may be back I may be able to figure out able to figure out how.how.

The Early YearsThe Early Years

I strangely recall I strangely recall that I was born in that I was born in Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas to my Arkansas to my father Joseph and father Joseph and mother Katherine. mother Katherine. I remember not I remember not being very well being very well off, my father was off, my father was merely a crane merely a crane operator at a local operator at a local steel company.steel company.

Living in a White Living in a White WorldWorld

My father told me very My father told me very early on that there was a early on that there was a big difference between big difference between blacks and whites. We blacks and whites. We were not equal.were not equal.

““The alleged menace of The alleged menace of universal suffrage having universal suffrage having been avoided by the been avoided by the absolute suppression of absolute suppression of the negro vote, the negro vote, the spirit the spirit of mob murder should of mob murder should have been satisfiedhave been satisfied and and the butchery of negroes the butchery of negroes should have ceasedshould have ceased. “ . “ ~ ~ Ida B. WellsIda B. Wells

The Jackson HouseThe Jackson House

I remember my father I remember my father being an ambitious being an ambitious man. He was always man. He was always looking for a get rich looking for a get rich quick scheme. I quick scheme. I learned early on that learned early on that being black, was not being black, was not a way to be rich. a way to be rich. Unless you figured Unless you figured out a way to trick the out a way to trick the white people into white people into thinking you weren’t thinking you weren’t black.black.

The Jackson 5The Jackson 5

It was my fathers idea. It was my fathers idea. “Five cute black “Five cute black brothers singing their brothers singing their hearts out, what’s not to hearts out, what’s not to like?” Except for the one like?” Except for the one thing that he wouldn’t thing that he wouldn’t let get in his way. Most let get in his way. Most whites, were we lived, whites, were we lived, did not think us five did not think us five black brothers were black brothers were “cute”. On top of living “cute”. On top of living in a nobody town in the in a nobody town in the middle of Arkansas? My middle of Arkansas? My father decided that it father decided that it was time to move.was time to move.

Michigan?Michigan?

My father must have been My father must have been crazy. We were poor, we crazy. We were poor, we were black, we couldn’t were black, we couldn’t just pack up everything just pack up everything and move to Michigan. But and move to Michigan. But my father had heard of a my father had heard of a recording studio, run by a recording studio, run by a black man, who recorded black man, who recorded black groups. My father black groups. My father said this was our big said this was our big chance, to make a chance, to make a difference in the world for difference in the world for all blacks, and all people.all blacks, and all people.

The studio was Motown’s The studio was Motown’s Studio A, they even owned Studio A, they even owned their own record label!their own record label!

Our Studio ReleaseOur Studio Release

It was hard for any poor It was hard for any poor black man to make money, black man to make money, but somehow Berry Gordy Jr. but somehow Berry Gordy Jr. the President of Motown the President of Motown Records, had gotten enough Records, had gotten enough money to buy this house, and money to buy this house, and all the equipment he needed. all the equipment he needed. They were obviously cheaply They were obviously cheaply made, but still it was OUR made, but still it was OUR music being played on the music being played on the record player, and man did record player, and man did that feel good.that feel good.

The group would travel a The group would travel a little, to different black towns little, to different black towns and play in bars and such.and play in bars and such.

I released my own single that I released my own single that brought me a little popularity brought me a little popularity with our fans. I wanted to do with our fans. I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.this for the rest of my life.

The PlanThe Plan

I knew that to live my dream, I I knew that to live my dream, I would have to change. There would have to change. There are no successful black men in are no successful black men in the world, they might be a little the world, they might be a little luckier than I am, but they are luckier than I am, but they are not successful. The only way to not successful. The only way to make a point in the world is to make a point in the world is to be a white person. So I guess be a white person. So I guess its time for me to become its time for me to become white.white.

You are probably wondering You are probably wondering how I am going to accomplish how I am going to accomplish that? I have recently noticed that? I have recently noticed that my skin in some parts of that my skin in some parts of my body has started to my body has started to become pink, like a white become pink, like a white persons skin. I figure that if I persons skin. I figure that if I can get all of my skin to can get all of my skin to change to that color, then I can change to that color, then I can pass for a white person and pass for a white person and live my dream of being an live my dream of being an entertainer.entertainer.

You can see here how light my skin had already become. I also learned that as my skin became lighter, my popularity with whites rose. Below you can see how dark my skin used to be.

Marry Me?Marry Me?

I decided that I couldn’t risk getting I decided that I couldn’t risk getting married. I would have to have my birth married. I would have to have my birth certificate, and things could just get certificate, and things could just get ugly. I cut all ties with my family, ugly. I cut all ties with my family, realizing I could get them, and myself, realizing I could get them, and myself, in a lot of trouble. Who would have in a lot of trouble. Who would have though being white was this hard to though being white was this hard to keep up? I had to constantly keep keep up? I had to constantly keep myself in check, and work on how to myself in check, and work on how to interact with other whites.interact with other whites.

Not the PlanNot the Plan

Unfortunately everything did not go as Unfortunately everything did not go as planned.planned.

I released six albums under the guise of I released six albums under the guise of being white, and boy did they eat it up. being white, and boy did they eat it up. One reviewer wrote about me and said, “I One reviewer wrote about me and said, “I am simply amazed that this music could am simply amazed that this music could come out of such a delicate white boy!”come out of such a delicate white boy!”

Which made people ask questions, which Which made people ask questions, which got me dragged to a police station in got me dragged to a police station in Texas, which figured out that I was Texas, which figured out that I was Michael Jackson, of the Jackson 5. (they Michael Jackson, of the Jackson 5. (they called our group one of the worst forms of called our group one of the worst forms of music on the planet)music on the planet)

Being arrested wasn’t that bad, until I Being arrested wasn’t that bad, until I realized what I was going to be charged realized what I was going to be charged for:for:

– Impersonating a WhiteImpersonating a White– Interacting with WhitesInteracting with Whites– Dining with WhitesDining with Whites– Sharing a cab with WhitesSharing a cab with Whites– Performing for WhitesPerforming for Whites– Shopping with and buying from Shopping with and buying from

WhitesWhites– And anything else they could pin on And anything else they could pin on

me, or make up to get me in even me, or make up to get me in even more troublemore trouble

It was not the best day of my life.It was not the best day of my life.

The EndThe End

Guess I lived a decent Guess I lived a decent live, but now here I am, live, but now here I am, stuck in a jail cell. stuck in a jail cell.

Apparently the judges in Apparently the judges in Texas aren’t very lenient.Texas aren’t very lenient.

The other inmate tells me The other inmate tells me that on the day of my that on the day of my execution I am let out and execution I am let out and told to run as far away as told to run as far away as I can. I am given a one I can. I am given a one hour head start and then hour head start and then they start to give chase. If they start to give chase. If I am caught, I am public I am caught, I am public executed, by the public executed, by the public for the public. If I manage for the public. If I manage to avoid capture, then I to avoid capture, then I am free, as long as they am free, as long as they never catch up to me.never catch up to me.

FreedomFreedom

““Whatever the immediate gains and Whatever the immediate gains and losses, the dangers to our safety losses, the dangers to our safety arising from political suppression arising from political suppression are always greater than the are always greater than the dangers to the safety resulting from dangers to the safety resulting from political freedom. Suppression is political freedom. Suppression is always foolish. always foolish. Freedom is always Freedom is always wisewise.” ~ .” ~ Alexander Alexander Meiklejohn Meiklejohn

BibliographyBibliography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jacksonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jackson_5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jackson_5 http://www.recordingeq.com/2006motown/http://www.recordingeq.com/2006motown/

06motown24.html06motown24.html http://www.courttv.com/trials/jackson/http://www.courttv.com/trials/jackson/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

2005_trial_of_Michael_Jackson2005_trial_of_Michael_Jackson http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/

05/050428.neal.shtml05/050428.neal.shtml http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/

i/idabwells295211.htmli/idabwells295211.html