Dominique Dawson

Whitlock 6th Period

December 12 2010

Michael Jackson: Philanthropist and Humanitarian

There are many great things that are possible to say about Michael Jackson. For

one, he’s a humanitarian. Secondly, he is a philanthropist. He was inducted into the

Guinness Book of World Records for his charity work. Michael Jackson is a great human

being that has donated to over a dozen charities.

Michael Jackson supported dozens of charities in his life. Some are USA for

Africa, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Elizabeth Taylor for AIDS Foundation.

These are the charities that were most acknowledge by him. He supported 39 charities in

total. That is the most charities supported by a pop star. For that record he was inducted

into the Guinness Book of World Records.

His first charity that he supported was USA for Africa. It was a song written by

Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson to support Africa. It raised millions of dollars for

famine. The song was entitled We Are the World. The We Are the World track had all of

the eighties greatest artists. It was a successful charity event and the song was remade for

Haiti relief in 2010.

In 1992, Michael made his own charity which was the Heal the World

Foundation. It was named after his hit single off of the Dangerous cd. From this

foundation, he airlifted 46 tons of supplies to Sarajevo, funded an institute for the alcohol

and drug abuse education and donated millions to disadvantaged children. One of his

many acts of charity work was finding a liver for a young Hungarian boy in need of a

transplant. Michael paid for the hospital bills.

 Another charity that Michael founded was the Michael Jackson United Negro

College Fund Enhanced Scholarship Fund in 1986. The $1.5 million fund supports

students who major in performing art and communications. Money is given each year to

students who attend a United Negro College Fund member college or university each

year.

On December 13th of 1984, Michael went back to the burn unit where he was

treated for the burns on his scalp after the Pepsi commercial incident. Being very

generous, he donated $1.5 million dollars, which was all of the money he received from

the Pepsi commercial, to fund the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children in Culver

City, California. In this center, more kids will be treated with the best technology that

money can buy for treating burn victims.

Michael Jackson has done many great acts that are rarely mentioned. All of the

profits from his hit single Man in the Mirror were donated to charity. He invited

underprivileged children to concerts. Michael has done many benefit concerts for

awareness of HIV/AIDS. There are many things that Michael has done for charity that

no one knows about. It is time for those things to come to the light. Michael Joseph

Jackson is a humanitarian and a philanthropist.

 Bibliography

Wilhelm, Ian. "Michael Jackson and Philanthropy - Give and Take - The Chronicle of
Philanthropy- Connecting the Nonprofit World with News, Jobs, and Ideas. “The Chronicle of
Philanthropy- Connecting the Nonprofit World with News, Jobs, and Ideas. 26 June 2009. Web.
09 Dec. 2010. <http://philanthropy.com/blogs/giveandtake/michael-jacksonphilanthropy/10192>.

"Michael Jackson's Charity Work, Events and Causes." Celebrity Charity News, Events,
Organizations & Causes. Web. 12 Dec. 2010. <http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/113-
michael-jackson>.

"16 of Michael Jackson's Greatest Non-Musical Achievements." Brainz — Learn Something New
Today. Web. 12 Dec. 2010. <http://brainz.org/16-michael-jacksons-greatest-non-musical-
achievements/>.

Jackson, Michael J. Moonwalk. New York: Harmony, 1988. Print.