On February 2, 1992. Millions of people are glued to their televisions. MTV, Fox, and BET are all broadcasting the exact same thing. A massive, 9-minute short film is premiering. It is called “Remember The Time.”
The video takes us straight back to gorgeous Ancient Egypt. The sets are absolutely huge. Eddie Murphy plays a grumpy Pharaoh. The stunning supermodel Iman plays Queen Nefertiti. She is incredibly bored. She orders her guards to throw terrible performers at the hungry lions.
Then, a mysterious, robed wizard appears. Through groundbreaking special effects, he turns into golden dust. He splashes into clear water. Finally, he transforms into Michael Jackson. He dances, he smiles, and he even shares his very first on-screen kiss with the Queen.
Michael Jackson – Remember the Time (Official Video – Upscaled)
It was a total visual masterpiece. But Michael was not just trying to entertain the world. He was trying to heal it.
If you look closely at the video, you will see a famous basketball player. It is Magic Johnson. Just a few months earlier, Magic shocked the entire globe. He announced he was living with the HIV virus. People were completely terrified of the disease. Many people cruelly turned their backs on him.
Magic Johnson on Accidentally Hanging Up on Michael Jackson and a Pajama Party with Prince
Michael put Magic right in the center of his highly-anticipated video. He wanted to show the world that we need to love and support people with HIV, not fear them. He used his global spotlight to raise huge public awareness.
He always believed his intense fame had a much bigger purpose. He did not just want to be the King of Pop. He wanted to use his power to be a true, loving king of the world. He proved this pure kindness over and over again. When a terrible accident burned his scalp years earlier, he took his settlement money and built the Michael Jackson Burn Center to help injured children. He created the Heal the World Foundation to fight global poverty. He felt a deep, overwhelming love for all of humanity.
You can be the biggest, most famous star on the entire planet. But true royalty is never measured by record sales or fancy dance moves. True greatness is using your massive platform to stand up for the hurting, fight global fear, and heal the world with pure love.