Michael Jackson’s Ancestry and Ethnic Background Revealed

Let’s get one thing straight, Michael Jackson was an African American icon.

Consistently breaking racial barriers throughout his extensive career, he reinvented and redefined what it was to be a black superstar; during an incredibly turbulent period in modern American history.

For many, Michael Jackson’s incredible success was a beacon of hope against racial bias, for others he challenged what it meant to be perceived as black in American society. That being said, Jackson didn’t always have a clean-cut relationship with the public and his race.

Even though Michael Jackson publicly stated his pride in his African American heritage, media speculation over his changing skin tone, race erasing surgeries and the paternity of his children, led to persistent questions concerning his connection with his racial identity.

Links to African slavery, Blackfoot native Americans and other European ancestry, Michael Jackson’s ethnic background wasn’t as simple as ‘Black or White’.

Son of the former Katherine Esther Scruse and Joseph Walter Jackson, Michael Jackson was born in Gary Indiana on the 29th of August 1958.

On Michael Jackson’s mother’s side, it has been said that Katherine Jackson has Blackfoot Native American ancestry. Blackfoot Indians were originally a nomadic American Indian tribe that migrated from the Great Lakes region to the Northwest. They lived in the Northern Great Plains, specifically in what is known as today’s Montana and Idaho as well as Alberta, Canada. Although this has yet to be verified publicly.

It has also been said that Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, is one quarter of Chinese heritage, although this may just be a rumour. Some accounts say that Michael Jackson even referred to himself as Chinese, and often expressed his strong desire to perform in China. While in Japan for the first leg of his Bad Tour, Jackson is said to have stated he finally felt like he was home.

Michael Jackson’s father stated in his book, ‘The Jacksons’, that he has Native American ancestry. The name Jackson originates from his great-grandfather on his father’s side, Jack Gale. Jack was born at the beginning of the 19th century into a tribe of Choctaw Indians. Choctaw native Americans originated from modern Mexico and the American Southwest, who settled in the Mississippi River Valley for about 1800 years before the colonization of the United States.

He was an Indian shaman and fell in love with a black slave by the name of Gina. In 1838 they gave birth to their first son, whom they named Israel. Unfortunately, at this time if one of a child’s parents was a slave, the child would also be considered a slave. Even though Israel’s father was a ‘free person’, Israel couldn’t hope for anything more than his mother’s life of slavery. When Israel grew up, people nicknamed him Nero. Nero, son of Jack, and eventually his last name turned into Nero Jack-son.

Michael Jackson’s father stated that Nero was tall and light-skinned, with high cheekbones and small sparkling eyes. Nero was still a boy when Jack started to transfer him his shaman knowledge. But despite a gift of doctoring, Nero had been sold to a plantation in Louisiana. Over the years, Nero attempted to run away from his owner several times, but was never successful, causing him to be beaten to near death and put to hard labour. On one occasion, metal tongs were heated and used to squeeze his nose until Nero lost all feeling in his face. The scars of the burn remained with him for the rest of his life.

After the abolition of Slavery in 1865, his situation got better, and Nero earnt an adequate salary selling Indian medicines. Nero liked to sing and frequently executed old military dances of Choctaw. He later married a woman three quarters Indian Choctaw, Michael Jackson’s great-grandmother Emmaline. Emmaline was from Louisiana, and Joseph Jackson described her as having her mother’s slightly yellowish colour of a skin.

Michael Jackson’s brother Jermaine has stated when asked about his Native Indian heritage that ‘we always stayed near old Indian towns and walked the trails in homage to our ancestry. We grew up knowing we have Native American blood in our veins… the inherited physical attributes were our high cheekbones, light skin and hairless chests.’

Michael Jackson’s father also confirmed they had links to European ancestry. Stating that his great-grandmother on his mother’s side, Mattie Daniel, was born in 1864 as a result of an interracial affair between the white daughter of a plantation owner and their black slave. Once Mattie was born, the young mother’s family were seriously considering abandoning the baby, hoping starvation and the elements would rid them of this unwanted child. But the family had second thoughts, fearing they might be charged with murder since the child was half white. So, Mattie was taken care of for a short period and then later given to a black family to be raised.