Michael’s speech against racism!

July 9th, 2002 Michael’s speech against racism!
Sharpton’s National Action Network headquarters
in the Harlem neighborhood of New York

 

我記得很久以前，在印第安納州，[當我是]6或7歲，我有一個夢想，我想成為一名表演者，你知道，一個專業表演者，每當我晚上睡著了，我的母親會叫我起床，說，' Michael,，Michael,，詹姆斯布朗上電視了！' 我就會跳起床，我盯著屏幕，我刻苦地做著每個旋轉，每個轉動………..

你知道它是傑基威爾遜 不勝枚舉的非凡的, 傑出的人才，無限的，偉大的天才。

我很遺憾看到那些藝人所受到的痛苦，因為他們給世界帶來了歡樂，而唱片業的當權者毁了他們，這並非像是那當權者說的那樣，那些藝人建造了大房子，他們花費了大量金錢，他們買很多汽車，這些愚蠢的借口和藝術家們的創造相比根本不值一提。

我只想你們知道，我們在為一個重要的目標而鬥爭。因為我真的厭倦了厭倦了被人操縱的感覺，
這種被人操縱的受壓迫的感覺是真實存在的，他們沒說實話，他們在撒謊，他們編造了歷史書，歷史書上也謊話連篇，歷史書也在撒謊，你們必須知道這一點，
你們一定要知道。
所有的流行音樂，從爵士到Hip Hop，到Bebop 靈魂樂，各種各樣的舞蹈，從Jitter Bug舞到Charleston舞，再到街舞，所有這些都是黑人舞蹈，
更重要的是它使人們得到解脫，通過娛樂來解脫，這世界沒有了音樂會怎樣? 界沒有了舞蹈會怎樣?快樂歡笑和音樂，

他們有著如此重要的貢獻，但是看看角落裡那些書籍，你從沒見到一個黑人的照片出現在封面上，你們只會見到貓王，只會見到滾石樂隊，但誰才是真正的先驅者呢?
Otis Blackwell是眾所周知的作曲家，作為一個黑人作者，他為貓王寫了許多偉大的歌曲，這是一個黑人，他死於身無分文，沒有人知道這個人，也就是說，他們不寫一本關於他的書，我知道，因為我已世界各地尋找。 而今天我見到了他的女兒，我很榮幸。 對我來說，當我見到她。這是等同於會見英國女王的級別 。

今天我要說出所有的不公，你們一定記得這些，自我打破唱片銷量紀錄開始，我打破了貓王的紀錄，我打破了披頭士的紀錄，從我打破這些攺變歷史的紀錄開始，緊接著，他們叫我怪胎，他們叫我同性戀，他們說我孌童，他們說我漂白了皮膚，他們極盡所能想讓公眾反對我。這些都是彻頭彻尾的陰謀你們應該知道。我不担心，當我站在鏡子前看著自己時，我知道我是個黑人
你們知道，我更愛你們，

是時候做出改變了。請不要一走出這棟樓就忘了我剛才說的一切，讓我們把這些放在心裡，放在潛意識裡，讓我來為些做些什麼，我們必須行動起來，我們已等了太久了，為做出改變等得太久了，所以讓我們高舉火炬奪回我們應得的尊嚴，我愛你們
我要說，請不要把這些話放進心裡，明天就忘掉它們，如果那樣的話，如果那樣的話我們就無法實現我們的目標，這樣的不公應該停止了，這樣的不公應該停止了，正因如此我正盡我所能，確保我們做這一點，我愛你們大家
謝謝!!請記住我們都是兄弟姊妹，無論我們是什麼膚色

 

 Speech against racism (July 9th, 2002)

 

… I remember a long time ago in Indiana, [when I was] like 6 or 7 years old, and I had a dream that I wanted to be a performer, you know, an entertainer and whenever I’d be asleep at night, and my mother would wake me up and say, ‘Michael, Michael, James Brown is on TV!’ I would jump out of bed and I’d just stare at the screen and I’d do every twist, every turn, every bump, every grind. And it was Jackie Wilson; the list goes on and on you know, just phenomenal, unlimited, great talent. It’s very sad to see that these artists really are penniless because they created so much joy for the world. And the system, beginning with the record companies, totally took advantage of them. And it’s not like they always say: ‘they built a big house,’ ‘they spent a lot of money,’ ‘they bought a lot of cars’ — that’s stupid, it’s an excuse. That’s nothing compared to what artists make. And I just need you to know that this is very important, what we’re fighting for because I’m tired. I’m really, really tired of the manipulation. I’m tired of how the press is manipulating everything that’s been happening in this situation. They do not tell the truth, they’re liars. And they manipulate our history books. Our history books are not true, it’s a lie. The history books are lies, you need to know that. You must know that. All the forms of popular music from Jazz, to Hip Hop to Bebop to Soul, you know, to talking about the different dances from the Cake Walk to the Jitter Bug to the Charleston to Break Dancing — all these are forms of Black dancing! What’s more important than giving people a sense of escapism, and escapism meaning entertainment? What would we be like without a song? What would we be like without a dance, joy and laughter and music? These things are very important, but if we go to the bookstore down on the corner, you won’t see one Black person on the cover. You’ll see Elvis Presley. You’ll see the Rolling Stones. But where are the real pioneers who started it? Otis Blackwell was a prolific phenomenal writer. He wrote some of the greatest Elvis Presley songs ever. And this was a Black man. He died penniless and no one knows about this man, that is, they didn’t write one book about him that I know of because I’ve searched all over the world. And I met his daughter today, and I was honored. To me it was on the same level of meeting the Queen of England when I met her. But I’m here to speak for all injustice. You gotta remember something, the minute I started breaking the all-time record in record sales — I broke Elvis’s records, I broke the Beatles’ records — the minute [they] became the all-time best selling albums in the history of the Guinness Book of World Records, overnight they called me a freak, they called me a homosexual, they called me a child molester, they said I tried to bleach my skin. They did everything to try to turn the public against me. This is all a complete conspiracy, you have to know that. I know my race. I just look in the mirror, I know I’m Black. It’s time for a change. And let’s not leave this building and forget what has been said. Put it into your heart, put it into your subconscious mind, and let’s do something about it. We have to! It’s been a long, long time coming and a change has got to come. So let’s hold our torches high and get the respect that we deserve. I love you. I love you. Please don’t put this in your heart today and forget it tomorrow. We will have not accomplished our purpose if that happens. This has got to stop! It’s got to stop, that’s why I’m here with the best to make sure that it stops. I love you folks. And remember: we’re all brothers and sisters, no matter what color we are.