BEAT AIDS was saddened to learn of Michael Jackson’s passing on June 25. At the height of his popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s, Jackson leveraged his considerable talent and fame to address civil rights issues, including HIV/AIDS.
Jackson’s HIV/AIDS efforts began in part with his participation in the 1984 song collaboration, “We Are the World.” Monies from the project supported hunger, poverty and AIDS relief programs in Africa and the U.S. Soon after, he, along with Sir Elton John and other celebrities, befriended Ryan White, who gained media attention for fighting his expulsion from school for having AIDS. Jackson supported White’s AIDS advocacy efforts, and honored the teenager’s memory with "Gone to Soon," released shortly after his death in 1990.
In 1992, during President Bill Clinton’s inaugural gala, Jackson famously pressed the newly elected leader to increase funding for AIDS research and care. “The early 1990s were a scary time. So many people were dying every week, and there were no treatments on the horizon,” says Michele Durham, BEAT AIDS’ Executive Director. “But here was the infamously shy ‘King of Pop’ asking the President to fight AIDS in front of millions of people. He knew that that people would listen to him. And they did.”
Despite controversy in recent years, Jackson’s continued to support numerous charities and humanitarian programs, including the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund; the Red Cross; UNESCO; and the United Negro College Fund. He also established the Heal the World Foundation.
“Michael Jackson has left an indelible mark on the world, as an artist and as a champion for the rights of those living with HIV/AIDS to be treated with dignity and respect,” says Ravinia Hayes-Cozier, NMAC’s Director of Government Relations and Public Policy. “While others around the world turned their backs on people with AIDS, Jackson was there to call them friend and lend his fame to raise awareness. The AIDS community will be forever grateful.”
