I wrote this article on June 25th, 2009. It's a historic, first-hand account of the moment that fundamentally changed how I perceive human nature, fame, media, power, and America itself.
You surely did owe him this trilogy, Miranda, and part one alone is a lot to sit with, so thank you for the respect of pacing.
As a geriatric millennial who was only allowed to listen to Christian music growing up in the remote Midwest, I was peripherally aware of Michael. Flash forward, I was a volunteer English teacher (white savior group WorldTeach, which has since been disbanded) in rural Namibia when he was martyred and the second half of the school year was filled with him, a soundtrack, an ineffable spiritedness - the grade 8 learners called his tunes "Black of America music," and it was deeply meaningful for them in ways I didn't understand then, so I spent much of my one-hour-a-week of Internet access that summer scrounging for anything I could find and bringing it back to Onawa Village.
My most treasured memory with Michael is of all those kids singing "Heal the World" together. There was a spirit forming around us we couldn't yet translate through language but, you're right -
This is a full circle moment. Critical lost bits are front and center now. We get to integrate, reconnect, and go forward much more knowingly - believing in humanity, believing in our own capacity.
Michael Jackson was martyred. Glory to him. Let's heal this world he will forever live in - now, through us.
“…when he was martyred” — now you made ME cry! Beautiful, beautiful comment, thank you for this! The best part of writing about Michael, back then, and reviving my pieces now — it exactly comment like yours! People telling me their own experiences, thoughts, feelings with or about Michael. Priceless stuff, truly. 🖤🕺🏻🎤
I have no desire to see the movie either, for similar overarching reasons you talked about. I'm older and my personal connection to him doesn't come close to yours. But I got to appreciate him more after his death partially BECAUSE I sensed what the dark forces in control did to him.
I tried. I cannot. Even just opening the trailer on YouTube to link it to the article, it started playing on its own, and I had to quickly stop it. This is how haunted I am. The nephew seems like a lovely, lovely man; he's the only one in that family who seems to get a slice of Michael's talent, softness, vulnerability -- I truly want to see it because of the kid, but my heart just cannot. Emotionally, and also the profits of that movie go exactly to the people who removed him from this earth, and those who let it happen. Fuck that shit. This is what they do: remove you, then praise you when you aren't a danger to their ideology and systems of power anymore, and enrich themselves while at it.
Thanks, Chris! I’m hoping that revisiting these pieces, reading them again after 17 years, connecting them to everything we know today, and writing the third and final piece in real time will help me feel a little less haunted by all of this. I will never truly be okay with it, but hopefully there’s some comfort in watching younger people discover the truth for themselves, one more step toward a greater awakening.
That was soul crushing and powerful 🫶🏻
Hvala draga! Part 2 stize danas 🖤
You surely did owe him this trilogy, Miranda, and part one alone is a lot to sit with, so thank you for the respect of pacing.
As a geriatric millennial who was only allowed to listen to Christian music growing up in the remote Midwest, I was peripherally aware of Michael. Flash forward, I was a volunteer English teacher (white savior group WorldTeach, which has since been disbanded) in rural Namibia when he was martyred and the second half of the school year was filled with him, a soundtrack, an ineffable spiritedness - the grade 8 learners called his tunes "Black of America music," and it was deeply meaningful for them in ways I didn't understand then, so I spent much of my one-hour-a-week of Internet access that summer scrounging for anything I could find and bringing it back to Onawa Village.
My most treasured memory with Michael is of all those kids singing "Heal the World" together. There was a spirit forming around us we couldn't yet translate through language but, you're right -
This is a full circle moment. Critical lost bits are front and center now. We get to integrate, reconnect, and go forward much more knowingly - believing in humanity, believing in our own capacity.
Michael Jackson was martyred. Glory to him. Let's heal this world he will forever live in - now, through us.
“…when he was martyred” — now you made ME cry! Beautiful, beautiful comment, thank you for this! The best part of writing about Michael, back then, and reviving my pieces now — it exactly comment like yours! People telling me their own experiences, thoughts, feelings with or about Michael. Priceless stuff, truly. 🖤🕺🏻🎤
I have no desire to see the movie either, for similar overarching reasons you talked about. I'm older and my personal connection to him doesn't come close to yours. But I got to appreciate him more after his death partially BECAUSE I sensed what the dark forces in control did to him.
I tried. I cannot. Even just opening the trailer on YouTube to link it to the article, it started playing on its own, and I had to quickly stop it. This is how haunted I am. The nephew seems like a lovely, lovely man; he's the only one in that family who seems to get a slice of Michael's talent, softness, vulnerability -- I truly want to see it because of the kid, but my heart just cannot. Emotionally, and also the profits of that movie go exactly to the people who removed him from this earth, and those who let it happen. Fuck that shit. This is what they do: remove you, then praise you when you aren't a danger to their ideology and systems of power anymore, and enrich themselves while at it.
Too often.
Powerful read, Miranda. 🙏🏻
Thanks, Chris! I’m hoping that revisiting these pieces, reading them again after 17 years, connecting them to everything we know today, and writing the third and final piece in real time will help me feel a little less haunted by all of this. I will never truly be okay with it, but hopefully there’s some comfort in watching younger people discover the truth for themselves, one more step toward a greater awakening.
Looking forward to the next two parts!