Michael Jackson Began the Celebrity Cause Movement

With the passing of Michael Jackson today, I cannot help but wonder what he would have believed his legacy would be.  He was an artist, a genius, a humanitarian and yes, a troubled lonely soul.

But being the first to focus the attention on Africa through his We Are the World rally cry, he began a movement that is still felt today.

With that song, he made it popular to use celebrity to make a difference.  He was pre Live Aid, Bono, Angelina, Brad and all the others who have taken up the rally cry to focus on the world’s plight. He challenged the establishment when it was not popular. He broke down barriers before Obama, Tiger and all the others.

Will he be remembered for the music, the weirdness or the accusations?  I am not sure what is true legacy will be. Although obviously a troubled soul, his true genius cannot be denied.

He was like no other child star. There will probably never be another in our lifetime. His gentle voice and apparent desire to want to make a difference through his charity work and music cannot be denied but if the accusations are true than another sinister side towards children existed.

Do I hope those accusations are false…absolutely.  I cannot imagine a world where such would be acceptable.  Yet, if they are false, how painful it must have been to be under a spotlight with such accusations flying around.

But today, all I can think of, beside the loss of a genius that changed music and pop culture forever in a way that will probably never occur again, is the fact that he popularized taking celebrity status to make a difference.

For that the children of the world who benefit from the movement he helped to create say their thanks. We can only pray for his soul that his actions were indeed of kindness towards children. He was a man of great conviction, contradiction and tortured self loathing.

Our thoughts and prayers (regardless of your belief system) go out to his family, loved ones but especially to his children. They mourn a father few truly knew and enter a world of uncertainty experienced by only a handful. We wish them the strength they will need to cope with being the children of a man of such a complicated yet gifted legacy.