Michael's return & spotlight on Africa: a message from the President & CEO Linda Johnson Rice

No matter what you might think about Michael Jackson's personal life, the general consensus is that, as an entertainer, he is perhaps the best and most exciting performer in music history. That belief is supported by the multitude of accolades that have been generated by his genius, including Guinness World Records' anointment of him as the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time."

Millions of us, and I'm included in that group, have grown up with Michael and his music--from "I Want You Back" to "Off The Wall" to "Man In The Mirror" and beyond, and we have been amazed by the magic of his incredible, unique talent.

After celebrating his 49th birthday in August, Michael is still energetic, innovative and enthralling. And now he's back! Back to the studio and planning to get back on stage, where he does what he does best--performing.

As a precocious 6-year-old, Michael established himself as one of the major cogs in the Jackson family musical machine (that includes sister Janet), but he hasn't created new music since the 2001 release of the Invincible CD. In this issue, in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the industry-influencing album Thriller, which for several years was the biggest-selling album of all time (eclipsed recently by Eagles: Their Greatest Hits), we caught up with Michael in New York and took the opportunity to find out what he's up to, what he still wants to achieve and how (at nearly 50) he has changed. As he comes back to the music scene, expectations are high and anticipation is growing to see if "the King of Pop" is still "Bad."

Aside from Michael's cover story, and in line with my statement last month about chronicling all aspects of Black life, we are expanding our international coverage, especially as it relates to Africa. We have created a special section on the Motherland, which represents the beginning of a series of articles that will appear periodically.

Our spotlight on Africa is not a new endeavor, but our focus will be more sustained, more wide-ranging and more in-depth. Over the years, we have covered some of the biggest stories and most interesting people in Africa, with one of our most recent features being a special report crafted by ABC's 20/20 correspondent Deborah Roberts, who traveled to Namibia for the story, "My Firsthand View Of AIDS In Africa."

To go along with those items is one of our most electric "Two Sides" subjects, "Should Athletes/Entertainers Be Role Models?" The topic, at the forefront again after the Michael Vick controversy, is tackled by two of sports' most revered personalities, three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and two-time Olympic gold medalist and NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley. In light of Barkley's continuing stand that he's not a role model, it's interesting to see what he's saying now.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning