Let's get one thing straight.
Michael Jackson was an African-American
icon, consistently breaking racial barriers throughout his extensive career.
He reinvented and redefined what it was to be a black superstar
during an incredibly turbulent period in modern American history.
For many, Michael Jackson's incredible
success was a beacon of hope against racial bias.
For others, he challenged what it meant
to be perceived as black in American society.
That being said, Jackson didn't always
have a clean cut relationship with the public and his race.
Even though Michael Jackson publicly
stated his pride in his African-American heritage.
Media speculation over his changing skin tone, race,
erasing surgeries and the paternity of his children led to persistent questions
concerning his connection with his racial identity,
links to African slavery, Blackfoot,
Native Americans and other European ancestry.
Michael Jackson's ethnic background wasn't as simple as black or white.
Son of the former Catherine Esther screw's and Joseph Walter Jackson.
Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, on the twenty ninth of August 1958.
Michael Jackson's father stated in his
book, The Jacksons, that he has Native American ancestry.
The name Jackson originates from his great
great grandfather on his father's side, Jack.
Jack was born at the beginning of the 19th century into a tribe of Choctaw Indians.
Choctaw Native Americans originated
from modern Mexico and the American Southwest,
who settled in the Mississippi River Valley for about
800 years before the colonization of the United States.
He was an Indian shaman and fell in love
with a black slave by the name of Gina in 1838.
They gave birth to their first son, whom they named Israel.
Unfortunately, at this time,
if one of a child's parents was a slave, the child would also be considered
a slave, even though Israel's father was a free person.
Israel couldn't hope for anything more than his mother's life of slavery.
When Israel grew up, people nicknamed him Nero Nero,
son of Jack, and eventually his last name turned into Nero Jackson.
Michael Jackson's father stated that Nero
was tall and light skinned with high cheekbones and small sparkling eyes.
Nero was still a boy when Jack started to transfer him his shaman knowledge.
A despite a gift of doctoring, Nero had been sold to a plantation in Louisiana.
Over the years, Narrow attempted to run
away from his owner several times, but was never successful,
causing him to be beaten to near death and put the hard labor.
On one occasion, metal tongs were heated
and used to squeeze his nose until Nero lost all feeling in his face.
The scars of the burn remained with him for the rest of his life.
After the abolition of slavery in 1865, the situation got better and Nero earned
an adequate salary selling Indian medicines.
Nero liked to sing and frequently executed old military dances of Shakhtar.
He later married a woman three quarters Indian Shakhtar.
Michael Jackson's great grandmother,
Emeline Emeline, was from Louisiana, and Joseph Jackson described her as having
her mother's slightly yellowish color of skin.
Michael Jackson's brother, Jermaine, has stated when asked about his native
Indian heritage that, quote, We always stayed near old Indian towns
and walk the trails in homage to our ancestry.
We grew up knowing we have Native American blood in our veins.
Inherited physical attributes were our
high cheekbones, light skin and hairless chests.
Michael Jackson's father also confirmed they had links to European ancestry,
stating that his great grandmother on his mother's side, Madie Danielle,
was born in 1864 as a result of an interracial affair between the white
daughter of a plantation owner and their black slave.
Once Maddie was born,
the young mother's family were seriously considering abandoning the baby,
hoping starvation and the elements would read them of this unwanted child.
But the family had second thoughts,
fearing they might be charged with murder since the child was half white.
So Maddie was taking care of a short
period and then later given to a black family to be raised.
On Michael Jackson's mother's side,
it has been said that Katherine Jackson has Blackfoot Native American ancestry,
although this is yet to be verified publicly.
Blackfoot Indians were originally a nomadic American Indian tribe
that migrated from the Great Lakes region to the northwest.
They lived in the northern Great Plains specifically and what is known as today's
Montana and Idaho, as well as Alberta, Canada.
It has also been said that Katherine Jackson is one quarter
of Chinese heritage, although this may just be a rumor.
Some accounts say that Michael Jackson
even referred to himself as Chinese and often expressed his strong desire
to perform in China while in Japan for the first leg of his bad tour.
Jackson is said to have stated he finally felt like he was home.