A Sad & Poignant Life.......A Few last Words Regarding the King of Pop

My opinion...coming up in a few

Okay, I'm back just to give you my final thoughts on Michael Jackson and Tuesday's historic memorial service. It took me a few days to wrestle with my thoughts on this tragedy as it touches on a variety of issues from a cultural perspective. I, like many Americans was saddened by the passing of Jackson but perhaps for different reasons. As a self-described afronerd, I can appreciate and actually welcome a certain degree of eccentricity from cultural phenoms and private individuals alike-but the King of Pop went above and beyond the pale in weird behavior....literally and figuratively. He should be respected and placed among the pantheon of other notable cultural greats as time moves forward but he should also be used as a cautionary tale for those who pursue fame at the cost of sanity and racial identity. It has often been said that we are losing our young men of color to violence and poor health. I suspect that reality still stands but the overreaching truth in these matters is a lot more basic.......unfettered ignorance is really the culprit when it comes to the premature death of many of our Black/Brown youth. If the Jackson family inculcated a greater sense of comfort with Black identity and allowed their children to pursue education with the same vigor as entertainment, who knows what Michael Jackson could have ultimately become. Unfortunately wealth and ignorance make for a deadly elixir-just check out our current rap stars for further edification. There are just too many examples of squandered potential in communities of color and until someone speaks up, we will continue to see dreams deferred. So we are left with a confusing figure who should have had it all but without a sane mind, it was all for nought. Rest in peace, Mr. Jackson-hopefully all the madness and confusion that you were forced to bear are no longer your albatross.