Michael Jackson Describes Child Abuse by Joe Jackson

Michael Jackson Discusses Child Abuse by His Father, Joe Jackson

Michael Jackson admitted that his most vivid memory was of rehearsals, countless hours, spent in the studio to get the notes and the dance steps right. Joe’s ferocious push to harness his son’s talent and whip them into a world class act wasn’t just to satisfy a father‘s obsessive ego, or to snatch vicarious thrills through his children, or because of dollar signs dancing in his eyes. Joe, and so many other hard case black fathers of that time, saw entertainment and the stage as their son’s ticket out of the ghetto; a sure fire escape for potentially at risk young black boys from poverty, racism, and the perils of the streets.

In an age when parenting roles were far more rigid and sharply defined, Joe’s idea of being a loving, caring and responsible father was to bring home the paycheck, expect his dinner to be waiting on the table, and to be stern, tough, and no nonsense with their children, especially their sons. Joe’s fierce drive paid big dividends with the Jackson’s. The fame, dollars, and adulation rolled in. The boys did not do drugs, join gangs, commit any crimes, and could not be accused of educational or professional underachievement.

Joe hit the jackpot with Michael. The fierce discipline, focus, work ethic, and business and marketing savvy that Joe drilled into Michael laid the foundation for Michael’s transformation from a child R&B star into a music immortal.

(excerpt from Earl Ofari – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/earl-ofari-hutchinson/demonizing-joe-jackson_b_223116.html)