The Empowerment Ventures

Courage Without A Conviction:

Does The Jackson Have What It Takes

To Lead A National Discussion on Sexuality?

This weekend I had the pleasure of watching Get Up, Stand Up, a documentary about "pop and protest" on KTEH public television out of San Jose, CA. It was an extraordinary recap of nearly 100 years of modern protest music. A massive stream of music wandering from early Joe Hill's socially conscious folk music to anti-war protests and mellow peace harmonies to angry "panther" bashes and soul-wrenching rap blasters of black and white hiphoprisy.

However, I couldn't help but feel that something more deserving lay beneath this rendition. Something that should have, could have, might in the future lead music from being just an entertaining reflection into something more action oriented. As Patti Smith said in the introduction: "Our ability to make change is always here. We just have to believe it."

Music's role as presented in the Marley-esqe Get Up, Stand Up shows that we have gotten somewhat to this point on several occasions. But to date no one has really put their reputation on the line to imbued justice music as the blood of progress. 

The fact that the show ended by voice-overing social change lyrics by Michael Jackson definitely got my Empowerment Venture blood going.

What if The Jacko stood up and said he wanted to use his fame, fortunate and newfound infamy to make us believe that the world is really not just BLACK AND WHITE when it comes to sexuality?

Can he do what hundreds of priests and TV evangelists, a former president and countless political and corporate leaders have failed to do in the past, which is empower us to have a national backlash against uninformed ideas about sex and sexuality?

Does Michael Jackson have what it takes to sing and dance us a tune of a truly healthy sexuality?

Imagine what could happen if Michael Jackson, Inc., turned his attention (and worth) to a series of international concerts dedicated to Rappin' a dialogue of SEX and RESPECT?

Could the Notorious Moonwalker really resurrect and redirect the anger of the Darker Sides of his bro's and sista's?

Can even he sell 50 million CDs that "Pied Piper" the young people of the world away from the sicknesses of their oppressed bodies, minds and babies?

For any of this to happen, of course, the Gloved One would have to expand upon his "Can't We All Just Get Along" philosophy that assumes "I sleep with young boys because I love them as humans deserving of affection."

Such simpleton conceptualizations by themselves do no more for jump-starting a movement than did the President of the United States engaging us all by wondering what was meant by the word "it."

If Michael Jackson is really committed to his belief that he did nothing wrong and if believes in the depth and magic of love (with or without lust), then why not take that conviction to the level of morphing the world's faces into a harmony of justice on healthy sex?

That would indeed be a THRILLER with an impact.

Could the Jackson Empire get hundreds of thousands of Chinese or Russian young people dancing to such a rhythm? 

Would Latin America's young passions turn to someone like him to find a healthy hero they need?

Might Middle Eastern hormones rage with potential when they are released from the false drapery of religious purity?

Honestly, I'm not sure if he really can, because I believe that he, like most of the other potential impactors of the world, are very much afraid of the subject of sexuality.

But then again, if he turns to the people he professes to care about he might be surprised by the reception he receives. Michael has already danced some steps in this direction with his BLACK and WHITE, sung so emotionally to millions a few years ago:

They Print My Message

In The Saturday Sun

I Had To Tell Them

I Ain't Second To None

 And I Told About Equality

An It's True

Either You're Wrong

Or You're Right

 But, If

You're Thinkin'

About My Baby

It Don't Matter If You're

Black Or White

 I Am Tired Of This Devil

I Am Tired Of This Stuff

I Am Tired Of This Business

So When The

Going Gets Rough

I Ain't Scared Of

Your Brother

I Ain't Scared Of No Sheets

I Ain't Scare Of Nobody

Girl When The

Goin' Gets Mean

To have a revolution on sexuality will be mean. It will be as dirty and as filled with hatred as any lynch mob trying to disparage the freedoms of the majority of peoples of color. It will put to shame the humiliation of gay bashers as our collective secrets get out.

But it will take no less than a message of success from an extraordinary person to leap above and beyond the tall buildings of tied-down morality.

Michael Jackson, more than any other public figure, has the ability to reshape his image once again to face the madness of his convictions. 

Or as The Michael says in HIStory:

How many people have to cry

The song of pain and grief across the land

And how many children have to die

Before we stand to lend a healing hand

Do you want to sing any words to this tune? If so, feel free to comment on this piece or send me an email (epower.ventures@hotmail.com).

PS: You can see words to many of Jackson's songs at http://songlyrics.com. All lyrics quoted here are from this source and presented for educational purposes only.