Reverend Al Sharpton spoke at the Michael Jackson Memorial Service and has caused a bit of a heated debate with some of his remarks. Always with political undertones, the reverend discussed civil rights, racism, and the unfair treatment of African Americans
in the music industry. He also spoke of how the Jackson 5 paved the way for many future successes of black children: even citing President Obama's election.
Though many might feel that the Jackson 5 and particularly Michael Jackson's career broke racial stereotypes, some feel that Michael Jackson's memorial was not the place to bring up these issues. Others seem to feel that Al Sharpton has a hard time moving forward and letting go of the past. If you'd like to voice your opinon or vote in the poll regarding whether or not Al Sharpton is a racist, you may do so here: Do you think Al Sharpton is a racist?
Here are the words spoken by Rev. Al Sharpton at the Michael Jackson Memorial Service.
All over the world today people are gathered in love vigils to celebrate the life of a man that taught the world how to love. People may be wondering why there is such an emotional outburst, but you would have to understand the journey of Michael to understand what he meant to all of us.
For these that sit here as the Jackson family, a mother and father with nine children that rose from a working class family in Gary, Indiana, they had nothing but a dream. No one believed in those days that these kind of dreams could come true. But they kept on believing, and Michael never let the world turn him around from his dreams.
I first met Michael around 1970, Black Expo, Chicago, Illinois, Reverend Jesse Jackson, who stood by this family until now. And from that day, as a cute kid, to this moment, he never gave up dreaming.
It was that dream that changed culture all over the world. When Michael started, it was a different world, but because Michael kept going, because he didn't except limitations, because he refused to let people decide his boundaries, he opened up the whole world in the music world.
He put on one glove, pulled his pants up, and broke down the color curtain, where now our videos are shown and magazines put us on the cover! It was Michael Jackson that brought blacks and whites and Asians and Latinos together! It was Michael Jackson that made us sing "We are the World" and feed the hungry long before Live Aid!
Because Michael Jackson kept going, he created a comfort level where people that felt they were separate became interconnected with his music. And it was that comfort level that kids from Japan and Ghana and France and Iowa and Pennsylvania got comfortable enough with each other to, later, it wasn't strange to us to watch Oprah on television. It wasn't strange to watch Tiger Woods golf.
Those young kids grew up from being teenage comfortable fans of Michael's to being 40 years old and being comfortable to vote for a president of color to be the president of the United States of America.
Michael did that! Michael made us love each other! Michael taught us to stand with each other!
There are those that like to dig around mess, but millions around the world, we are going to uphold his message. It's not about mess, it's about his love message.
As you climb up steep mountains, sometimes you scar your knee. Sometimes you break your skin. But don't focus on the scars. Focus on the journey.
Michael rose to the top. He out-sang his cynics. He out-danced his doubters. He outperformed the pessimists.
Every time he got knocked down, he got back up. Every time you counted him out, he came back in.
Michael never stopped! Michael never stopped! Michael never stopped!
I want to say to Mrs. Jackson and Joe Jackson, his sisters and brothers, we thank you for giving us someone that taught us love, someone that taught us hope. We want to thank you because we know it was your dream, too. We know that your heart is broken.
I know you have some comfort from the letter from the president of the United States and Nelson Mandela, but this was your child. This was your brother. This was your cousin. Nothing will fill your heart's loss, but I hope the love that people are showing will make you know he didn't live in vain.
I want his three children to know, wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with, but he dealt with it... he dealt with it anyway. He dealt with it for us. So, some came today, Mrs. Jackson, to say goodbye to Michael. I came to say thank you. Thank you, because you never stopped. Thank you because you never gave up. Thank you because you never gave out. Thank you because you tore down our divisions. Thank you because you eradicated barriers. Thank you because you gave us hope.
Thank you, Michael, thank you, Michael, thank you, Michael.
Watch the Video of Rev. Al Sharpton at the Michael Jackson Memorial Service (the views expressed in the following video belong to the creator of the video and are not necessarily shared by Charisse Van Horn)
