The Delicate Question Of Identity
In Harlem on June 30, 2009, fans gathered to celebrate Michael Jackson. But in 1967, when he first appeared on the stage of the Apollo Theatre, he was a poor, black 8-year-old from Gary, Ind., and no one ever heard of him.
Jackson and his brothers had come to play amateur night at the Apollo in New York - the temple of black culture. The family was so poor, word was they couldn't even pay their hotel bill.
There are no pictures from that night to document the beginning of perhaps the greatest career in pop music. The Jacksons soon signed with Motown Records and made hit after hit, even playing "The Ed Sullivan" show twice.
Then, suddenly, it was all Michael. He rocketed to the top, breaking barriers all the way.
For that shining moment, Michael Jackson was a hero in the African-American community. The story is, he even took on MTV.
"'Thriller" was the first African-American video that had ever played on MTV. When MTV did not play black, African-American videos, I think he basically created a stance to say that this is a must," says recording artist Usher.
Usher says this moment cemented Jackson's legacy among African Americans. "I think he is by far one of the most impactful artists in music."
Outside the Apollo Theater, thousands of fans came to pay their respects to Jackson. But such a warm embrace has been rare in recent years, according to "48 Hours" correspondent Harold Dow.
It wasn't always that way. For many in the African-American community, the relationship with the pop star became complicated because Jackson, at times, seemed ashamed of who he was.
"I think the African American community had to do some adjusting to Michael Jackson," says Rev. Gregory Jackson, the pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Hackensack, N.J.
While he grew up a Michael Jackson fan, Rev. Jackson says many people began to have problems with the entertainer when his appearance began to change radically and his skin began to whiten.
"Some people were ashamed, some people even angry… some people saying 'Why would you do this? Why are you trying to dis the bridge that brought you over?" Rev. Jackson says.
When asked if he thought the singer was ashamed of being black, Rev. Jackson responds, "That's a tough one. I think he dealt with some issues in terms of trying to figure out his identity, but I'm not sure if it was the shame of his blackness or… something related to his early childhood and his parenting."
"If you look at him closely from when he started to where he ended… he's probably a little confused," says producer, musician and "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson.
Randy Jackson On Michael's Magic
"You know, I think a part of that was just his metamorphosis, just him trying to grow as an artist. But I think some people took offense at it, you know?"
Michael Jackson claimed he wasn't actively trying to whiten his skin. He said he had a skin disease called vitiligo.
Many people scoffed at his explanation.
"I, as a black person in America, I've seen people over the years who've had spotting, the white patches on their body, their shoulders," says Jackson biographer Nelson George. "I think it has been a suspicion among many that his color change has been willful and that he in some form, has been trying alter his look."
Altering his skin wasn't the only reason people felt ambivilent about Jackson. His producer and mentor, Quincy Jones, spoke with Katie Couric the day after Jackson's death.
"At some point, Michael Jackson's personal life seemed to eclipse his enormous talent. Why do you think he became such a troubled soul?"
Couric asks.
Jones replies, "Success is a strange animal. And if you don't really have a serious, grounded approach towards life it can be just as defective as it is successful... Well, something was wrong. Because, somehow I think, well - just what was happening to his face… I used to give him a hard time about the chemical peels and everything else. And he always would tell me things like 'I have a blister on my lungs' and all these kinds of things... And in a way, he was in denial. He wanted to look different. And, you know, I guess that's sort of… self-destructive, in a way."
Quincy Jones: "I Miss My Little Brother"
For director Spike Lee, Jackson's struggle was common to any black artist who aspires to appeal to audiences of all races.
"There is a tendency that when African American's cross over, they're considered colorless... They're more than black and for me that's kind of sad," he says. "We can still cross over without losing your sense of who you are."
Ironically, Jackson always tried to reach across racial barriers in his music, most famously in his song "Black or White."
The Rev. Al Sharpton, a prominent voice in the African-American community, spoke at the memorial at the Apollo Theater. Rev. Sharpton has been standing alongside the Jackson family since Michael died on June 25, and says its time for the community to reconcile with Michael Jackson.
Sharpton Salutes Michael Jackson
"Do you believe that some in the black community may have looked at him in an ambivalent way because of the changes he made to the way he looked?" asks Dow.
Sharpton's reply? "I think the overwhelming majority of our community always stood with him… we were the ones who never left him when he was in trouble. We were the ones that never deserted him when he was questioned, when he was on trial. Who was there? His mother, his father, hsi family and those of us that were attacked."
At the BET Awards Sunday night, Jaime Foxx did more than a Michael Jackson impression - he offered a reconciliation, saying, "He belongs to us… we just shared him with you."
"Black folks have become very territorial about Michael," Lee says. "This is a bad time to bad mouth Michael around some black folks. We had some issues with him, but that stuff is over."
Rev. Gregory Jackson says the pop star touched people around the world. "I think that he did not try to be a civil rights leader, he did not try to be a politician. He was one thing: an entertainer. He put all his energy and his passion there, and it showed how he touched people in every country around the world. And I think that's a wonderful legacy."