January 16, 1993. The NAACP presented Michael Jackson with the Entertainer of the Year award. Children from the show walked out to deliver the tribute.
One of them looked directly at him and said: “On behalf of all the children of the world — we love you.”
THAT SAME YEAR, THE FIRST ACCUSATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE AGAINST MICHAEL JACKSON BECAME PUBLIC. THE CONTRAST IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT WITH!
While media outlets were beginning to question everything about Michael, children — the very people the accusations centered on — were standing on a stage declaring their love for him in front of the entire world. No script. No hesitation.
Just A Child Speaking Directly To The Man They Admired Most
When Michael stepped up to accept the award, he didn’t talk about fame or record sales. He thanked his mother first — pointed her out in the crowd, told her he meant it.
THEN HE GAVE A SPEECH THAT REVEALED EXACTLY HOW HE SAW HIMSELF AND HIS PURPOSE ON EARTH. AND HOW HE FELT ABOUT KIDS
He said there are two things the NAACP stands for that matter more to him than anything — freedom and equality. He said every child is born with a secret song in their heart. That the song says: I am free. I am one.
That this is the natural feeling of every child — to be free as the wind, to be connected to every other child alive. And that every trouble in the world comes from people forgetting that feeling.
“When I perform,” he said, “my connection is with people — just to remind them of that.”
He accepted the award on behalf of the world’s healing
See Michael’s Full Speech
1993 is remembered as the year Michael Jackson’s reputation began to fracture publicly. But on that January stage, surrounded by children who loved him and a room full of people who honored him, a completely different story was still being told — and Michael was still the one telling it.