🎙️ Episode 9

Michael The Price of Music for Our Generation
(Our Truth, Our History, Our Story)

📝 Episode Summary

What did it mean to be Michael Jackson before he became a global icon?

In this episode, we step beyond the music and into the historical reality that shaped his life. Drawing from lived experience in the Midwest near Gary, Indiana, this reflection connects one family’s story to a broader cultural truth shaped by the Great Migration and the realities of Black life in America from the 1960s forward.

🔍 What We Explore

• The role of fathers like Joe Jackson navigating limited opportunity
• The strength and constraints experienced by mothers like Katherine Jackson
• How systemic barriers shaped Black family life and opportunity
• Why music—through groups like The Jackson 5—became a pathway forward
• The cost of childhood fame and the loss of ordinary life
• How we interpret the past differently through a modern lens

🎬 Film & Cultural Context

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and featuring powerful performances by Colman Domingo and Nia Long, the film invites us to consider not just who Michael Jackson was, but the world that made him.

🎥 MICHAEL will bring audiences a riveting portrayal of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop.
Watch the official trailer and learn more: https://michael.movie/
In theatres April 24, 2026

🧠 Why This Conversation Matters

This is more than a story about fame. It’s about:

• Family survival
• Generational pressure
• Cultural identity
• The cost of greatness

It’s also a reminder that to understand history, we must step into the realities of the time, not just judge them from the present.

📣 Resources / Links

Read the poem mentioned, “We Had Him” by Maya Angelou
https://allpoetry.com/poem/14326539-We-Had-Him-by-Maya-Angelou

Share the film
W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause premieres May 19, 2026

Share the trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM

Transcript is available here
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323

Watch here
https://youtu.be/hEEBgWkChNU

Listen here
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes/19009870

Stay connected
https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia

🎬 About the Series

Our Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS) explores the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping Black history and storytelling today.

👥 Production Credits

Host: Rita Coburn
Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr
Producers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee Whack