Year 2004
On January 2, 2004, a special program about Michael Jackson’s new album «Number Ones» was aired on the CBS network.
The special was a look back at Michael’s career history and a review of his songs and music videos. It also featured artists such as Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Missy Elliott, Quincy Jones, Mýa, Jill Scott, and Pharrell Williams, who spoke about the impact Michael Jackson has had on their careers.
Two days later, it was announced that Michael had hired a number of members of ”Nation Of Islam“ as guards.
It had been a long time since the last time the program ”60 Minutes“ had been selected as the best weekly program on CBS. But the choice of Ed Bradley’s interview with Michael Jackson as the best weekly television program in America—by viewers aged eighteen to forty-nine on CBS—broke the spell.
The interview had attracted eighteen million and eight hundred thousand viewers.
Dick Gregory, the seventy-one-year-old artist, who had fasted for forty days in protest of Michael Jackson’s arrest and in order to support him, ended his fast on January 8.
As he put it, he was determined to do whatever he could to prove his friend’s innocence.
During the forty days, Dick Gregory ate only one gallon of water plus eight lemons dissolved in it, and a cup and a half of sugar syrup.
He had also announced that he would attend the ceremony of lighting candles and reciting prayers for Michael, which would be held in Los Angeles the following week.
He had said: ”If you believe he is innocent, join us and you will see that the truth will be made clear.”
On January 12, Michael’s financial advisers, along with members of his team of defense lawyers, discussed Michael’s financial situation in a meeting held at a hotel in Beverly Hills.
Leonard Muhammad, one of the senior members of ”Nation of Islam“, was also present in this gathering.
Donald Trump, the famous billionaire who was also visiting the hotel, told reporters in response: ”I think they’re trying to get to Michael’s money before he gets it. And that’s a disgrace.“
At 8:00 a.m. on January 16, Michael entered the Santa Maria courthouse grounds inside his limousine to take part in the first hearing session of the allegations against him. Michael’s mother and father, his brother Jermaine, and his sister Janet accompanied him.
A crowd of about one thousand five hundred people—made up of fans, photographers, reporters, and cameramen—had gathered at the courthouse grounds hours earlier.
Fans who were cheering Michael intensely formed a ring around his car. Michael raised his hand out of the window and showed the victory sign with his fingers. He got out of the car and spoke with fans along the way until he reached the courthouse’s interior grounds. Michael spent a long time among his fans, which caused him to arrive at court with a twenty-one-minute delay and angered the judge. The judge addressed Michael: ”Mr. Jackson, you have displayed inappropriate behavior here. I want to officially tell you that I will not accept such a thing. This is an insult to the court.“
A little earlier, Michael—who was walking toward the courtroom hall—had, in a moment of nerves, shouted at one of the cameramen surrounding him to move a bit away. When he entered the courtroom hall, he was still aware of his fans who had gathered outside and were calling his name. At that moment, Mark Geragos, his lawyer, was trying to direct his attention into the courtroom.
In court, six seats were reserved for Michael, his family members, and his lawyers, and sixty seats were assigned to reporters, with another sixty seats for the general public.
A series of ceremonial steps were carried out to complete the case. After reading the charges to Michael, the judge asked whether he knew himself to be innocent or guilty. Michael pleaded not guilty. He spoke in a calm yet firm voice, stared straight ahead, and no movement could be seen in his face.
After that, Michael left the courtroom to go to the restroom and did not return. And the court session ended after two hours. This made the judge even more furious.
Judge Melville also prohibited everyone involved in this case from making any comments to the mass media.
Although Michael was completely serious throughout the court proceedings, after leaving the hall, in the outdoor area of the courthouse, he went up happily onto the roof of his car, which was surrounded by the crowd, and—according to the rhythm of the music being played—he also showed some dance moves.
After that, the fans went to Neverland at Michael’s invitation to take part in a small celebration arranged from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
In a poll conducted in late January, two thousand five hundred people in the United Kingdom named ten of their most popular favorites.
According to this poll, after David Beckham, Brad Pitt, and Justin Timberlake, Michael was considered the fourth most popular person in the UK.
On the first day of March 2004, Michael opened his official website ”MJJSource.com“, which had been launched to reflect accurate and correct news about Michael.
On the morning of March 10, Michael’s newest DVD titled «The One» was released in the United States, and the release date of this DVD in the United Kingdom was promised for the 15th of that same month.
This DVD consisted of the CBS 44-minute special program, a new recording of several old songs, several music videos, live performances of «Thriller» and «Off The wall», behind-the-scenes footage of «Wanna Be Startin' Somethin» and the «History» tour, as well as talks by Dick Clark, Missy Elliott, Beyoncé, Shaggy, Carsen Daley, Pharrell Williams, Seven Glover, Wesley Jon and Quincy Jones.
In the United States, another album by the Jacksons group was also released, titled «The Essential Jacksons».
This album included fourteen songs, among which one could mention «Enjoy Yourself», «Shake Your Body», and «State of Shock». In the song «State of Shock», Mick Jagger’s voice was also used. This album also included Michael’s live performance of «Don't Stop Till You Get Enough» from the «Victory» tour in 1981.
On March 17, Gloria Allred, a Los Angeles lawyer, announced at a press conference that the Los Angeles Department of Child Support had rejected her request to obtain custody rights over Michael Jackson’s children.
Allred said she intended to ask a court in Los Angeles to begin investigations into the situation of Michael Jackson’s three children and to take responsibility for their custody and care.
The next day, Benjamin Brafman, Michael’s defense attorney, responded to Allred’s statements:
”Based on the judge’s order, I’m not allowed to comment on any matter related to Michael’s criminal case. But in response to Gloria Allred’s statements at a press conference, I can point out that this case has nothing to do with her. And people will be more at ease if Allred intervenes only in matters that are not related to this case, and from now on does not use Michael Jackson’s fame for her own promotion. Her position is irresponsible, and in my view, very unpleasant and malicious.“
On March 30, Michael met with members of the Africa Congress at their office to discuss their fight against AIDS in Africa.
Chaka Fattah, one of the members of this congress, called Michael one of the most important celebrities in the world and said that he used his fame to help people.
After leaving the hearing, Michael did not answer reporters’ questions, but in a statement he announced: ”What I want you to know is that I will do everything I can to help you in your struggle.“
The next day, on his second day of activity in Washington to discuss greater support for the African continent in the fight against AIDS, Michael met with several Black lawmakers in the United States, as well as a number of ambassadors from African countries.
When Michael entered the Capitol Hill building, a group of supporters had also gathered on-site to support him.
At a press conference held after the end of this one-hour session, many members of Congress expressed their enthusiasm about Michael’s work on the AIDS fight project in Africa.
Rabby Rush, one of the members of Congress, said about Michael: ”This man intends to direct the global efforts to fight AIDS in a way that ensures we use all our resources and attention to control and eliminate a curse called AIDS.“
Sheila Jackson Lee, another representative, said: ”Before today, no meeting like this had ever been held in Congress.“
Jesse Jackson, a pastor and another member of this congress, while praising the session, said: ”Michael has announced that he will help in the congressional programs arranged to raise financial aid to fight AIDS in Africa.“
Also at this press conference, Michael announced that he intends to hold several charity concerts in Africa for the same purpose.
Sheila Jackson Lee provided more details about these concerts and said that ambassadors from several African countries had invited Michael to perform in their countries.
After leaving Congress, Michael went to Walter Reed Hospital to visit American soldiers who had been wounded in the Iraq war and were hospitalized there.
Michael’s trip to Washington drew a great deal of attention and impressed the members of Congress on Capitol Hill with the support and love of his fans.
Leon Rock, the organizer of Michael’s meeting with members of Capitol Hill, described the session like this: ”I can say that I set Capitol Hill on fire. The women of Congress said they had never seen anything like this before. When we left Congress, people were running around Michael’s car. Of course you’ve seen scenes like this many times on television, but seeing it up close is astonishing. Even one of the Congress employees fainted in the middle of the crowd.“
The Associated Press described Michael as ”shy and funny” and concluded that ”the commotion that had been raised in this one week because of Michael’s trip to Washington shows that he is still the King of Pop.“
Over the years, Michael Jackson has offered his financial support for the construction of equipped hospitals, orphanages, homes, and schools in Africa, and he has also financially supported organizations related to children’s rights, the fight against AIDS, and racial discrimination.
This led to Michael receiving a humanitarian award on the first day of April 2004 from the Association of Spouses of African Ambassadors (AASA) in recognition of his humanitarian activities, especially in the African continent.
At the ceremony, held at the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, a golden elephant statue symbolizing appreciation for Michael’s activities in the fight against AIDS in Africa was presented to him.
In a statement released before the start of the ceremony, Michael had said: ”For me, it is very important to raise awareness about the African continent and to collect financial aid for this continent.“
At the ceremony, a group of singers made up of children performed the song «Heal The World». Michael thanked them by kissing and hugging the children.
When receiving his award, Michael addressed the two hundred people who were present as guests at the ceremony: ”This is beautiful. This is an amazing opportunity. I thank the ladies, I thank Africa, and I thank everyone who came here tonight.“
He also said that traveling to Africa was very enjoyable.
The ”AASA“ association, which has representatives from fifty-one countries, was formed twenty-six years ago. And its goal is to support disadvantaged children in the fifty-one member countries.
On this day, in addition to receiving the humanitarian award, Michael also attended the meeting of African leaders.
On the same day, Rolling Stone magazine published a list of immortal artists who have appeared in the field of music so far. The thirty-fifth position on this list, consisting of fifty women, men, and music groups, was dedicated to Michael Jackson.
The magazine’s editor, in an article, explained the reason for choosing Michael Jackson:
”Michael Jackson is the greatest showman in the world. One of the most explosive performances of my life was when I saw Michael slide across the stage at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Motown’s founding. Seeing such a scene made all of us understand that greatness is this. And anything that does not match it is below greatness.
Before him, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and Frank Sinatra had appeared. And Michael Jackson immediately took his place among them.
I’m almost the same age as Michael. I first saw him at an amusement park in the U.S. state of Ohio. The Jackson Five were performing on stage. Michael’s voice could be heard throughout the amusement park. From the very beginning, I was impressed by his voice.
The song «Billie Jean» is his most important work. Not only in terms of its commercial success, but also because its music is very deep. This song was more captivating than any other song I have heard so far. All the rhythms of this song stay in your mind, and each one has its own special catchiness. You can divide this song into twelve different songs. And I think each of these songs could have been very successful. I still haven’t heard a song like it.
Michael has influenced many artists. You can see his influence in his sister Janet, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and Mariah Carey. You can also see his influence in the dance moves that many young artists perform. If you pay attention to Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Usher’s work, you will truly see that they are performing a page from Michael Jackson’s playbook.
There are many people who look at Michael as if he were an astonishing landscape, and that is sad. This keeps us from seeing his artistic side. A world without Michael Jackson would be a very, very different world. And I think all of us should feel fortunate because an artist with this degree of talent and ability has entered our lives, since he has expanded our lives.“
On April 21, the jury—the decision-making body regarding whether or not to hold a trial to hear allegations of sexual abuse against Michael Jackson—ruled in favor of holding a trial.
In a statement, Michael Jackson’s lawyers Mark Geragos, Robert Sanger, Benjamin Brafman, and Steve Cochran, while insisting on Michael’s innocence, announced: ”Michael is expecting the trial, and he thanks the millions of fans around the world who continue to support him in these difficult circumstances.“
On April 24, Michael released a statement:
”While I issue this statement, helicopters are flying overhead, reporters are watching us, and photographers are hiding behind bushes, and around my home they are increasing uncontrollably.
In the end, I respectfully ask that you please respect my privacy and that of my children.
I greatly appreciate your cooperation.
Thank you.“
On April 25, Michael Jackson replaced Thomas Mesereau with Mark Geragos and Benjamin Brafman.
In a statement, Michael announced that he personally made this decision. In this statement he said: ”My life is in danger. Therefore I must make sure that my best interests come before everything else. I am cleared of these false accusations, and I will work hard with determination to clear my name.
I thank my lawyers, Mr. Geragos and Brafman, for all their efforts. And I wish them well.“
Two days later, Michael dismissed the members of the ”Nation Of Islam“ whom he had hired as his guards.
On April 28, Brian Oxman, the lawyer for the Jackson family, announced that Michael intends to return to his home, Neverland. Michael had left there after the police raid on Neverland last November, and had been staying in a rented house in Beverly Hills.
Brian Oxman said about this: ”Michael told me that he doesn’t want to stay away from Neverland... He told me ”This is where my children were born. This is where I want them to grow up“ ... He wants to go back home.“
On April 30, Thomas Mesereau, in his first official statement, said: ”This case is not for making lawyers famous or for anyone else. This case is only for one thing. Respect, truth, merit, charitable activities, the innocence and complete exoneration of an extraordinary human being named Michael Jackson.“
That day, Michael, in his second appearance in court, again pleaded not guilty.
In court, Judge Melville announced that another count had been added to the allegations against Michael. The judge said that prosecutor Tom Sneddon had charged Michael with imprisoning the complainant and his family in Neverland, in addition to the seven counts of sexual abuse and the two counts of feeding alcoholic beverages that had been announced earlier.
Michael shook his head and considered himself cleared of these accusations.
The prosecutor had alleged that these crimes took place from the beginning of February 2003 until March 31 of that year in Neverland by Michael Jackson against the complainant, who was thirteen years old at the time.
The complainant and his brother were identified in the court files by the aliases ”John Doe“ and ”James Doe“. The prosecutor claimed that the complainant’s brother had witnessed some of these crimes.
The complainant was the same boy who appeared alongside Michael in the controversial documentary ”Living with Michael Jackson“. In that documentary, Michael stated that he had allowed this thirteen-year-old boy and his twelve-year-old brother to sleep one night in his bed. But he also pointed out that he himself had slept in a sleeping bag on the floor.
As the evidence suggested, in fact the documentary ”Living with Michael Jackson“ was the starting point for everything.
Several of Michael’s employees, with names including Vincent Ammen, Frank Tyson, Dave Weizner, Ron Conitzer, and Mark Schaffel, were also accused of complicity with Michael in imprisoning the complainant’s family in Neverland.
On June 28, the Jacksons’ Best of album was released.
On the first day of July, Marlon Brando died at the U.C.L.A. hospital due to a respiratory illness, at the age of eighty. The ashes of this legendary actor were scattered in Tahiti and Death Valley, his favorite areas.
A memorial service for Brando was held at the Hollywood producer’s home, and celebrities such as Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, and Sean Penn were present.
In the last months of his life, Brando had lost more than eighty and five pounds in weight and needed a portable oxygen source for breathing, but he tried to appear healthy in public places.
Marlon Brando was one of Michael’s close friends; he played a role in the video «You Rock My world» and also appeared on stage as an honorary guest at the celebration of Michael’s 30th anniversary as a solo artist.
Miko Brando, Marlon Brando’s son, has also had a friendship relationship with Michael for years and works on Michael’s program-planning team.
He said about Michael’s relationship with his father: ”My father had a great affection for Michael Jackson. He met Michael for the first time in the 1980s, and the last time he went out for a trip, Michael accompanied him.“
In a poll conducted on July 8 by ”ESPN“, Michael Jackson was selected as the musical symbol of pop.
On July 27, Michael traveled to Houston, Texas, for business matters. During his stay in the city, Michael visited a store in the city to buy toys.
Michael’s presence in this store caused an incredible commotion among the crowd. When one fan approached Michael, he knelt in front of him and kissed his shoes.
On July 27, Michael Jackson’s defense lawyers appeared in court to review proposals regarding the trial of Michael’s charges. On July 13, twenty-two pages of proposal forms submitted by Michael’s defense lawyers and signed by Steve Cochran were presented to the court, in which the reasons were explained for why the trial should be postponed for four months. In these forms, the allegations against Jackson were described as an attempt to destroy an important and famous person. With the defense lawyers’ efforts to reject the punishment request prepared by members of the jury, Judge Rodney Melville postponed the trial date—originally set for September—to January 31, 2005.
During the hearing session, Glenn Akincles, the representative of the Santa Barbara district attorney’s office, said regarding the pursuit of the case: ”In the documentary Living with Michael Jackson that aired in February 2003, the complainant is speaking under the influence of Michael Jackson.“
He said that Neverland was designed to lure and attract children in this way. He also claimed that the complainant’s family had been kidnapped and kept in Neverland against their will.
The prosecutor’s representative’s remarks enraged Thomas Mesereau, Michael’s defense attorney. He considered the prosecutor’s representative’s statements—interpreting the stay in Neverland as kidnapping—to be meaningless and illogical, and claimed that the prosecutor’s representative had little evidence to prove these accusations.
The prosecutor’s representative also alleged that after the documentary ”Living with Michael Jackson“ aired, Michael and his accomplices had forced the complainant and his family to spend their vacation at luxurious residences.
Mesereau completely denied these claims and said that the belief that the complainant’s family had been imprisoned in Neverland and then forced to go to Florida by private jets in order to spend their vacation with celebrities such as Chris Tucker is fundamentally illogical and would be rejected by the jury.
In this session, Thomas Mesereau also announced that the complainant’s mother had had a fourth child.
On July 30, in a public poll by the English network W.H.1, the song «Billie Jean» was selected as the best song of all time with the highest number of votes.
«Billie Jean», Michael Jackson’s very successful 1982 song, topped the network’s best list. More than twenty thousand people took part in this vote, and almost half of them voted for the song «Billie Jean». Four of Michael Jackson’s songs were among the top one hundred songs, and three of them, in the following order, were among the top forty songs:
«Billie Jean» in first place, «Earth Song» in twenty-second place, and «Black Or White» in thirty-first place.
On the fourth day of August, the German network M.T.V. celebrated its 23rd anniversary by airing the biggest video of all time, namely «Thriller».
Six of Michael’s music videos were nominated for this honor, and in the end, among them, «Thriller» from 1983 was selected as the biggest video of all time.
On the morning of August 15, Michael, along with his lawyer Thomas Mesereau, his brother Randy, and his comedian friend Steve Harvey, attended a church prayer ceremony at Harvard Boulevard Church in Los Angeles. Michael’s fans and leaders of some groups showed their support for Michael at this ceremony. After the prayer ceremony, Michael went toward the school of this church to answer questions from the thirty students of this school.
The students had gathered in one of the rooms of this school. Michael, along with his lawyer Thomas Mesereau, his brother Randy, and also Steve Harvey, entered the room and sat on a chair in front of the children. Thomas Mesereau, Steve Harvey, and Randy also stood around him.
Randy introduced Michael and himself to the children and asked them whether they knew why Michael was there today. He answered immediately: ”He’s here to see you.“ He then told the children that they could ask Michael any questions they wanted.
A little girl asked Michael whether she could come to Neverland. Michael replied: ”Whenever you come, we’ll welcome you.“
Hearing this, the children shouted and cheered. They were all happy to meet Michael and talk with him. Michael also seemed very happy and at ease.
As more questions were raised by the children, the reporters were asked to leave the room. The children asked Michael various questions such as what your favorite song is, and how do you dance.
Although news of Michael’s presence at the church was not widely covered by the media, many reporters from different networks had gathered on-site to get the story. Ms. Raymond Bean, Michael’s spokesperson, guided the media members to a location where they could wait for Michael’s entourage team to leave the school. A little later, Thomas Mesereau and Steve Harvey left the school and met with the media members. The first question was asked of Thomas Mesereau. In response to a reporter’s question about why Michael came to the church, he said: ”Michael is a man of faith and he has always been interested in attending church.“
Next questions were asked of Steve Harvey. In response to reporters’ questions, he said that Michael is his close friend and that he believes in his innocence.
Steve Harvey spoke very bluntly and openly about the media. He said that Michael’s fame, success, and wealth were the reasons for creating such accusations against him.
One reporter tried to trap Steve Harvey by asking: ”Why did a private news story about Michael’s visit to the church leak to the news media?“ Harvey blamed that reporter for the question, looked around calmly, and said that if it were a private visit, you wouldn’t be here right now. Harvey took advantage of the opportunity and considered this question an example of the media’s incorrect release of information, in order to align it with their own goals.
A little after the press conference ended, Michael and his brother left the school and headed toward their car. On the way, Michael stopped several times to sign autographs and take photos. More fans were waiting outside the grounds for Michael and waved at and shouted as his car passed by. Fans, old and young, ran after Michael’s limousine.
On August 16, Michael appeared at the hearing session of the prosecution’s defense arguments, which accused private investigator Bradley Miller of an illegal search of his office.
In his third appearance in court, the King of Pop entered the courthouse grounds in a double-decker bus, accompanied by his parents, his brothers, Jackie, Jermaine, Randy, and his sisters Janet and Latoya. All his brothers and sisters were dressed uniformly in white. Michael wore a gold armband on his white outfit and silver glasses on his eyes.
Inside the courtroom, Michael watched his defense attorney Thomas Mesereau question the prosecutor in the case, Thomas Sneddon. Mesereau stated that the police entry into the office of private investigator Bradley Miller—which had taken place last November—was illegal. They discussed the issue of whether evidence stolen from Bradley Miller’s office, which had been working for Mark Geragos, Michael’s former defense attorney, constitutes an insult to the rules related to confidentiality between a lawyer and his client.
Sneddon denied knowing about Miller’s cooperation with Geragos, while it was he who had taken the referral letters from Geragos to Miller into a search of Miller’s office, which was illegal.
Mesereau asked Sneddon in disbelief: ”So you never found any connection between Geragos and Miller? It never occurred to you that Mr. Miller might work as a private investigator for Mr. Geragos?“
Sneddon confirmed and said that the reason for searching Miller’s office was to clarify his role in the allegations raised against Michael Jackson.
The conversation between Mesereau and Sneddon escalated, and Judge Melville was forced to reprimand both of them. He told Mesereau to drop his sarcastic tone and warned Sneddon to be respectful in response to each of the questions raised by Mesereau.
In the same month, a film titled ”Man In The Mirror“ was shown in theaters in the United States, and apparently its goal was to depict the life of Michael Jackson. But the characters in this story and their roles had the slightest resemblance to the reality of Michael’s life.
On August 10, Michael had drafted a statement that Judge Melville approved for release on August 16. The statement read as follows:
”I and my family have devoted our lives to spreading unity and peace in the world through our music. ”Man In The Mirror“ is a film that has recently been made based on the story of my life without permission, and in no way does it reflect the reality of our family. It is regrettable that over the years, we have been the target of completely inaccurate descriptions. We have been under the gaze of people. We have been portrayed badly and have been hurt. I personally have suffered from being called ”Wacko Jacko“ and from many harmful lies, in addition to the news that I had fathered quadruplets. This situation is unbearable and must be stopped. The description people give about us is not the truth of who we are or what we do. We are a family full of love. My success on stage depends on the love and support of my family outside the stage. My brothers and I are, first and foremost, ”brothers“. We started our work together and we will always be together. All I can wish for is that one day my family will receive the same love and respect that they have shown to others throughout their lives.“
On August 21, the M.T.V. website asked its visitors to vote for the best M.T.V. performance. Michael’s name was on the list for two performances: the surprising 2001 performance with the group *NSYNC and the 1995 performance.
On September 17, Michael attended the fourth hearing session. This time too, the Jackson family wore matching white outfits.
In this session, which was held to decide on evidence stolen from Bradley Miller’s office, the private investigator’s defense attorney Mark Geragos was present. The complainant’s mother took the witness stand and testified that she could not remember whether she knew about Miller’s and Mark Geragos’s cooperation, but she had thought that Miller worked for Michael.
The defense lawyers tried to prove that the complainant’s mother and the prosecutor knew about this. Thomas Mesereau spoke about pages that showed Bradley Miller had personally informed the complainant’s mother about working for Mark Geragos.
When Thomas Mesereau repeatedly asked the complainant’s mother whether these pages were false, she said: “I’m not saying she didn’t say something like that. I’m only saying I can’t remember.“
When the complainant’s mother claimed that she did not understand the meaning of some of the questions being asked of her, Thomas Mesereau became very angry.
During the court session, Michael had his eyes fixed on the complainant’s mother. But the complainant’s mother did not give him even the slightest glance.
On September 23 and 24, eighteen students from different universities in the United States held a session to discuss the life of Michael Jackson and the impact he left behind.
St. Clark Sieberman, a professor who teaches race and gender, said about Michael: ”In many ways, he is the most transformative Black male artist of the twentieth century. He has grown up in front of our eyes. Therefore, he is a valuable asset for us.“
He also announced that he was writing a book about Michael.
In this session, there was no discussion of the allegations against Michael Jackson, but the way they were covered by the media was debated. The students discussed people’s misconceptions and stereotypes about Michael and the widespread reflection of Michael’s allegations in the media.
One of Harvard University’s graduates pointed out that Michael most often addresses racial issues in his music. In this regard, he referred to the video for the song «Beat It» and said that Michael reminds people of social dilemmas in his songs.
Megan Burns, who was on the verge of attaining a professorship degree in the field of arts, also said that she sees Michael Jackson as a ”self-made artistic work“. She continued: ”He has participated in national discussions about race and gender. And this is a very valuable topic for all of us to exchange ideas about.“