QUIT PLAYIN: Mother Jackson and Motherhood

BY: Vincent L. Hall

As I sat through my third screening of the new biopic Michael, it occurred to me that it was scheduled properly. It may not have debuted on Mother’s Day, but the symbolism is crazy.

Mother’s Day has always been a misnomer for me. It should be called Motherhood Day. Some of the most important and beautiful mothering is the product of a selfless love of women who never bore children.

But with Katherine Jackson, MJ’s mama, that was not the case.

Mother Jackson gave birth to 10 children, and the nine surviving all became well known: Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Michael, Randy, and Janet.

Tito and Michael are gone, but anyone could make the argument that Michael may have been her favorite. Michael made them all household names.

The lead actors in my favorite Black romance movie, “Love Jones,” are in Michael the movie. Anytime you mention Nia Long and Larenz Tate at the same time, my mind wanders back to that seminal moment, when “Darius” went for the kill.

“This here, right now, at this very moment, is all that matters to me. I love you. That’s urgent like a mother!”

See, even in that movie, the concept of “mother” was significant. Mothers and motherhood make a difference!

Michael the movie, the movie drew heavily on a few things, and one was the diverse parenting styles that were evident throughout the film. Mama Katherine was a nurturer, and Papa Joe wanted to be featured in a future copy of the Rolling Stone.

Papa Joe achieved his goals, and by April 1971, just a few short years after the Jackson 5’s humble start, they made the cover. Fifty-five years ago, Black people were almost as proud of themselves as when Barack Obama was elected.

It is hard to describe how monumental Michael and his brothers were to my generation. We were looking for reasons to be proud in a mass media world where we were portrayed as ne’er-do-wells, nincompoops, and N!gg3rs.

The Jackson 5 emerged from a working-class, model family household where mom and dad worked in tandem.

Colman Domingo, who must be considered an Oscar candidate for his role as Joe, portrayed a crafty, if not cruel, Joe Jackson, who was determined to have his boys escape the “White man’s world.”

He used his brain and his belt, but far too much of the latter. Ass whippings were a staple in that generation, but Joe seemed to be particularly hard on Michael.

And that’s where Motherhood stepped in. Nia Long played her part to the hilt, including the minor limp Katherine developed after contracting polio at age two. Nia was soft-spoken most of the time, but stern and defiant when it meant the most. A Variety magazine article last week exposed how nervous she was about honoring Katharine’s motherhood.

“Last week, Nia Long got the tap on the shoulder she’s been waiting for forever. It was a summons from Katherine Jackson, the matriarch of the Jackson family, whom she portrays in the new biopic, ‘Michael.’”

Long steeled herself as she walked into a green room backstage at the Dolby Theatre and, when they came face to face, she froze for a moment. Then, she kneeled, held the 95-year-old woman’s hand, and said, “Thank you so much for all your sacrifices, for your love, for your patience, for your commitment to family.”

“Mother Jackson,” as Long calls her, simply gazed back at her, so she continued: “I said, ‘Do you realize none of this would be possible without you? You are the beginning of the Jackson legacy.’ And she teared up. It was a beautiful moment, and it was confirmation for me that she’s very pleased with the film. It was just perfect.”

Remember, nothing any of us achieves would be possible without motherhood. I urge you to reflect on and thank the mothers and mother figures in your life—that is the heart of my message.

A long-time Texas Metro News columnist, Dallas native Vincent L. Hall is an author, writer, award-winning writer, and a lifelong Drapetomaniac.