In remembering Michael Jackson, I am republishing a column I wrote back in 1991. So many people loved his music but were bewildered by his appearance. This is a reflection on how he made me think about race and identity.
Michael Jackson's new album,
''Dangerous,'' premiered at No. 1 on Billboard's pop chart Dec. 9, and
the album's hit single, Black or White, is being played constantly on
the airwaves. But does it matter if you're black or white?
I
would like to think that Jackson's message is sincere. But I don't.
It's hard to believe it is when he has altered his black features
through plastic surgery and apparently made his skin tone two or three
shades lighter.
His song attempts to
portray a need for racial harmony and peace in the midst of gang
warfare and inner-city strife. At the end of the song's video, we see
positive images of cultural diversity, a slew of multicultural faces
melding into each other - beautiful Latinos, Asian-Americans, Native
Americans, blacks and whites.
His single recognizes the
conflict of race in U.S. society and a need for racial harmony. But if
we were to follow his example, the solution would be to make ourselves
look more white, to change our appearance.
We have
enough racial categorizing in this society. If you have pigmentation in
your skin, society makes distinctions between those who have more and
those who have less.
This happens among Latinos and blacks.
In
Latino culture, to look Indian is often viewed as unattractive or
inferior. The Spanish word for Indian, ''indio,'' is sometimes equated
with being stupid. For some, it's better to claim Spanish or European
background than Indian. But the majority of Latino people are
''mestizo'' - a mixture of the two.
Among African Even societies outside the United States place a premium on lighter skin color: In In Guatemala, the darker-skinned indigenous peoples are a class separate from the white population. In India, the caste system dictates that the lighter your skin is, the higher the social standing. The Even brother Jermaine questions Michael. In his new single, Word to the Badd!!, he asks, ''Was your color wrong?'' A How can he say it shouldn't matter to society when it matters to him?
Americans, differences are highlighted between light-skinned and
dark-skinned blacks, between straight and kinky hair.
Mexico, almost all the television broadcasters and models in high
fashion magazines are fair-haired and fair-skinned or their features do
not reflect the ''mestizos'' in the country.
most striking example is South Africa, where, in spite of some recent
reforms, whites and blacks do not share the same political rights.
singer in Michael's song raps back, ''I'm not going to spend my life
being a color.'' But Jackson looks lighter every time he comes out with
a new album. He has placed a premium on looking white.
This column was originally published in USA Today Dec. 17, 1991.
Filed under: culture
Tags: dead, Does it matter if you're black or white?, Michael Jackson, race
