Michael Jackson fans continue to discuss his transformation from black to white

The following information is not an attack on the late entertainer Michael Jackson but a reflection of the facts as we know them and what his actions seemed to imply.

Michael Jackson was loved

As a young girl and even a teenager, I was in love with the Jackson 5 as were millions of other young girls. These brothers were talented and handsome in their own unique ways. I loved Michael Jackson the best because he and I were both born in 1958.

As the entertainer began morphing into an entirely different look, I lost my connection to him. Many African Americans and possibly those of other races thought he was ashamed of being black. After he died, some fans said they had no idea he was African American and assumed he was indeed white.

The Transformation

This speaks volumes regarding what the public was told about the situation. Jackson said he had vitiligo, a skin disorder that removes pigment in patches all over the body. In the cover photo on the left, it does look as if he did have some skin discoloration. I have known individuals with this disease and their skin turns pink in certain spots even if the rest of their body is dark.

It’s believed that Jackson used makeup and skin bleaching creams so that he would be the same complexion all over. Vitiligo may indeed have been part of the issue because the photo on the left reveals something very telling. The skin on Jackson’s chin just below his lips does indeed look lighter than the rest of his face.

The issue that many people had with the transformation of the singer is how he altered other aspects of his looks in a manner that was more Caucasian than black. This is why it’s believed he desired to appear as if he were a different race, and why so many blacks felt the celebrity was abandoning where he came from. The evidence seems to validate this line of thinking.

Michael Jackson's actions were perplexing

Vitiligo affects the skin tone and Jackson was confirmed to have the disease. This illness, however, has no effect on the hair, lips, or nose. You can see clearly from the two pictures of Michael Jackson that his nose and lips are thinner and his hair (or wig) is straight.

Some fans say Jackson had other alternatives, such as using dark makeup so that his normal complexion would be even. The woman in the next image did just that. She did not bleach her skin to complement the skin disorder but used makeup to accentuate the complexion she was born with.

I am not judging the singer because many celebrities alter their appearances. What Michael Jackson did, however, gave the impression that he was denying his race, and this struck a nerve with many people of color. This seeming dissatisfaction with his roots is what stood out in the minds of many African Americans.

Michael Jackson fans may bear some responsibility

Some people wondered if Jackson might have heard rude comments from fans. Others thought perhaps someone in the business told him he would have mass appeal if he did not look so black. In the movie The Jackson’s an American Dream there is a scene where Katherine Jackson talks to her son about how at 18, he is breaking out in acne at such a late stage of life.

Was this inserted into the script to imply that the singer had severe skin issues and thus the need to bleach himself? None of us has any idea what may have been said to encourage the singer’s actions, but female celebrities share all the time how they are expected to conform to succeed.

Facelifts, boob jobs, botox, rear-end boosters, and lip implants are all a part of staying young for the camera. Prior to Jackson’s untimely death, I watched a video with gospel singers BeBe and CeCe Winans. They said Michael Jackson observed church worshippers lifting their hands as the duo sang and asked how he could get his fans to do that. The video is no longer available.

What the Wynans stated reveals that the king of pop wanted total adoration and was seeking to do whatever would cause his fans to love him even more. To those who understand that a human should not desire the worship that belongs to the Creator, Jackson's words are troubling.

Michael Jackson's children

The world fell in love with 9-year-old African American Michael Jackson and his brothers, but somewhere along the line, something changed. The fact that not one of the icon’s three children seems to have any black blood in them seals the deal for many Jackson fans. Should not at least one of his children exhibit African American features?

Lightening his skin would not affect Jackson's genes and the DNA that Paris, Blanket, and Prince would inherit. There are cases of biracial children looking totally black or white. There are several in my family. But having all three of your offspring having only Caucasian features is rare.

I recall one day years ago my husband showed me a Jet Magazine article on the late entertainer Prince. It told how he needed a hip replacement because of jumping around on stage in high heels for decades.

I told my spouse that Michael Jackson also went all out for his fans, and I wondered what price he might pay? My question was answered 7 days later when it was announced that Jackson had died. Sadly, Prince also later passed away, and for both men, it was related to prescription drugs and a desire to continue performing for their fans.

Fame, fortune, and fans are not worth anyone risking their lives. No one should expect entertainers in their 50s to be wowing audiences as they did decades earlier. Neither is it worth it to turn one's back on their heritage and attempt to look like someone you were never meant to be if indeed this was Jackson's goal.

Anyone who knows the truth about Michael Jackson’s skin issues, or whether or not he truly sired his children, has probably been paid to keep quiet.

Even if it were proven that Vitilago was responsible for the skin tone, it does not explain Michael's narrow nose, straight hair, thin lips, and the children. Jackson sang a song that said it shouldn’t matter if you are black or white, and this is true.

The sad part is that the three children who remain behind must deal with the stares and whispers from those who don’t believe they have a black bone in their bodies. It’s not their race that’s the problem; it’s what is perceived as fraud, deception, and fake news from their father regarding the issue.