The voice of Michael Jackson: breaking down racial dichotomies “I am a black American. I am proud of my race. I am proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity” – King of Pop (YouTube 2014). The late Michael Joseph Jackson was a 20th-century African-American singer and songwriter who transformed the face of pop music and popular culture throughout his life (Michael Joseph Jackson). Making his debut in the professional music world in 1968 at the age of 10 as a member of the Jackson 5, Jackson's rise to fame was largely influenced by his invaluable contributions to the music industries , dance and fashion (Michael Joseph Jackson). Hailed as the “King of Pop,” his solo album “Thriller” remains “the best-selling album of all time,” with worldwide sales of “over 51 million copies to date since 1982” ( Guinness World Records). Michael Jackson's unique songs have also won him over 700 awards, including 13 Grammy Awards as well as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (Michael Jackson; Grammy). However, his musical recognition goes beyond what his award-filled cabinet could ever amount to. In this article, I propose that Michael Jackson's songs touched and changed many lives through his constant fight for racial equity. In particular, I argue that Michael Jackson used his musical career as an outlet to break down racial barriers in the American music industry, to express his disappointment with racial discrimination, to demonstrate his support for racial equality, to advocate the color of our skin. does not differentiate us from each other, but also to show and guide others that change must begin within oneself before impacting the world. Although some parties point out that Jackson used a derogatory term...... middle of paper...... Popular Music Studies 23, no. 1 (2011): 19-39. Accessed April 28, 2014. Academic research completed. Rossiter, Brian. "'They Don't Care About Us': Michael Jackson's Black Nationalism." » Popular music and society 35, no. 2 (2012): 203-222. Accessed April 28, 2014. Academic research completed. “Search for past winners”. Grammy.com. Accessed April 27, 2014. http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=%22Michael+Jackson%22&field_nominee_work_value=&year=All&genre=All. “The biography of the Jackson 5.” The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum. Accessed May 4, 2014. http://rockhall.com/inductees/the-jackson-five/bio/.Warwick, Jacqueline. “'You can't win, kid, you can't get out of the game': Michael Jackson's transition from child star to superstar. Popular Music and Society, 35:2 (May 2012): 241-258. Accessed April 27, 2014. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03007766.2011.618052.