Is Michael Jackson's charity a fake?
Michael Jackson's Heal the World Foundation did a considerable amount of good in its heyday in the mid-1990s, but it suspended operations in 2002 after failing to file several years worth of required annual reports with the state of California. The charity's New York offshoot, Heal the Kids, also faced a similar crisis in 2003, after which time it seems to have disappeared.
Last year brought news that that Jackson had not really stopped supporting his charity. Instead, the Heal the World Foundation had been reorganized. According to HTWF's website,
People are now remembering his music legacy, but behind the scenes, unknown to all but a small handful of people, during these last 7 years he authorized that tens of thousands be spent on preserving his charity organization Heal the World Foundation (HTWF).
Jackson started HTWF in 1992 and was designed to leverage his name, adding to the many millions Michael Jackson had personally given to charity. With Michael Jackson not happy at turning 50 years old, he stepped up his efforts for a multifaceted comeback.
Following these final performances, it was believed that Mr. Jackson would live a long and full life, devoted to HTWF and serving his God and his fellow man, with his fans leading the way.
Instead, the Heal the World Foundation announced that it would host a memorial benefit at a property bordering Jackson's Neverland Ranch--an event that ended up being canceled when local authorities objected that the event lacked the requisite permits.
I don't want to get in the way of a good thing, and I certainly wish the organizers well with whatever good deeds they have planned for the future. However, the more I go over my files on this Foundation, the more I've begun to wonder whether the relaunched charity was connected to Jackson in any way besides the name.
That the memorial PR came from an event management company with no evident coordination with the Jackson estate raised a red flag for me, but that's not the only odd thing. There's also the array of Michael Jackson domain names associated with the Foundation's president, Melissa Johnson, and the charity itself. For example, while Michael has been known to inspire quasi-religious devotion among his fans, would he have authorized the use of the domain name prophetmichael.com?
Somewhat more troubling, the Foundation is named in the WHOIS listing for http://mjplay.com, but the link itself takes you to Johnson's personal home health care service. Even more curiously, the home health service lists HTWF as a partner in providing elder care assistance--with no mention of Jackson. I was willing to view the Jackson-related domain names as a bit of strategic cybersquatting, but commingling charitable enterprise with a manager's own commercial private business is not something a charity should do.
Then there's this intriguing Craiglist post from mid-June:
The nature of the problem isn't at all clear--another charity named "Heal the World" filed a "Heal the World" trademark application for charitable fundraising, so perhaps HtWF is looking for help to deal with that. Or could there be another problem here--namely, a challenge to the Foundation's repeated mention of Michael Jackson in connection with its site & fundraising activity? Either way, if Michael Jackson were really funding this charity, wouldn't he be connecting it to his legal team as well?
Which leads me to the next and last curious piece of evidence. Johnson claims in a recent interview that "it is NOT true, that HTWF stopped functioning as a charity at any point since its inception in 1992." But if that's the case, why do both the California Attorney General and the IRS treat Jackson's HTWF and Johnson's HTWF as two legally distinct organizations?
California AG:
IRS:
Putting together the above facts with various statements made by Foundation President Johnson, one reasonably wonders whether the Heal the World Foundation's supposed support from Jackson actually existed. Instead, the Foundation would appear to be an independent effort by fans who have scooped up the Foundation's dead trademarks and around (reportedly) 2,000 Jackson-themed domain names.
On its website, the Foundation continues to promote its "behind the scenes" connections to Jackson & indicates that after his scheduled "final performances" Jackson would have been "devoted to HTWF." Judging from the Foundation's discussion board, such statements have created the impression that Jackson really did support this charity. If the Foundation cannot provide documented proof of an actual connection to Jackson, donors--and regulators--have good reason to question whether this charity is really an improvement on its failed predecessor.
Here is some interesting information about someone who actually KNOWS Melissa Johnson personally, and knows about the charity: http://girly-girl.net/2009/07/11/michael-jacksons-charity/
This person in the above link knows nothing about Melissa Johnson and the Charity. Its all a bunch of lies.
Yeah I really don't know anything about the charity or any personal info about Melissa either.
i have just witnessed highly suspicous activity on the HTWF when myself and another member psoted a blog, asking HTWF for transparency, and questions regarding Jacksons link, if any, to their organization. I also asked why they would post fan stuff, gossip, and stuff about his trials and they deleted my posts. I also asked for their records, which all charitible organizations must do, that was deleted. I know Jacksons charity was dissolved back in 2002, so who is HTWF? Are they using his name to bring noteriety to themselves and to make money?
Like Jane, I was banned from the fake HTWF for asking normal, civil questions, and all of my posts and blog were deleted.
I'm sure everyone here has seen this article by now, but if not, here it is:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/11/cbsnews_investigates/main5234202.shtml
This report by CBS News was published today. It really does say it all, and I quote, "The Michael Jackson estate has no connection whatsoever to the "Heal the World Foundation” run by Melissa Johnson," said Terry Fahn, a spokesperson for John Branca, the special administrator of the Jackson estate.
Jeff, you were ahead of your time. Good for you for pointing out this scam in early July!
If anyone is interested, there is a long thread about this at www.mjjcommunity.com:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58378&page=6
This is one of the most disgusting things I have seen--scammers taking money from grieving fans by false pretense, and using Michael's name to do it!
Rest In Peace, Michael. We will all work to see that this outrage is stopped.
Kate
@Kate: thanks for the info & the good words!
Jeff, I found your blog by Googling "Melissa Johnson fake charity"... the mysterious ways of Search always amaze me.
This is the only good thing I can think of to come from "Melissa Johnson fake charity"!
The CBS article was actually published August 11, 2009; not today. It was copy/paste, and I didn't catch it.
I bring up the date because a lot has happened in the past two days. One of the most important is that Wikipedia FINALLY corrected the false information posted there for months by Melissa herself. I know she posted it because a Wiki editor recently sent me copies of the article history page for the Heal The World Foundation page, and Melissa is on there as an editor as MJkid--her user name on her own site and numerous fan sites.
Happy to forward Wiki info to you or post here if it is of interest, but most important is that Wikipedia no longer says the fake HTWF site is "the official Michael Jackson website".
I found the scam HTWF through Wikipedia, as so many of Michael's fans have done. It is cause for much rejoicing that this egregious misinformation is gone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heal_the_World_Foundation
There is no way to know the damage caused by this greedy, unscrupulous woman, and with her trademark application just filed to own the ORIGINAL art, logo and name "Michael Jackson Heal The World Foundation", who knows what other damage she will do before it is all over.
Anyone can search and find her many trademark applications at www.uspto.com by going to this link: http://www.uspto.gov/main/profiles/acadres.htm
Click on "Search trademarks" on the right side of the screen. Then click on New User Form Search (Basic)
and enter the words Heal The World, MJ, Michael Jackson Heal The World Foundation.
If you read her trademark applications carefully, it is a real eyeopener. Reading this makes it clear that Melissa Johnson is far more focused on putting Michael's initials on backpacks and action figures that she is on healing the world.
Fan groups worldwide are disgusted, disappointed and irate. And non-profit minded souls who want to do tribute charity work still need a place to connect online.
How about here?
Kate
Feel free to use this site to connect! How can I help?
You've done a lot already, just blowing the whistle early on this scam.
Let me talk with some people that I know are looking for a temporary home and tell them about uncivilsociety.org.
My email is on my registration. Please email me there or if you have a posted email here, I'll email you. I think you can help, Jeff, but I don't want to take up blog space with details.
Thanks very much for your hospitality ;-).
Kate
I was banned from HTWF as well. Why ? Because I asked a few questions. Like is the M.J. for Melissa Johnson or Michael Jackson. They sell merchandise on a cafe press site. They say they have written books for HTW and I asked about those to. No answers, just ban the fans. Melissa Johnson should call her site "Ban the Fan Charity"
Hi banned,
I think it is pretty clear now what the answers to your questions are: Melissa & Co. "has no connection whatsoever" (see CBS News article link in this thread) with Michael's estate and no connection Michael's original Heal The World Foundation and never did have.
Why they try to pretend they are Michael's Foundation (they think they will make more money off grieving fans, perhaps?), I don't really understand, but at this point, I don't really care.
Jeff has kindly said we can use this space to connect. One of the best things about www.uncivilsociety.org is the wealth of information here about non-profit and charity work. I have spent time this week looking at Jeff's work, and there is much we can use to help those of us who want to do charity work as a tribute to Michael.
I would like to ask everyone who comes here to post what you think the most valuable type of work for us to sponsor with both our time and money would be: donate to children's charities, orphanages, children's hospitals, AIDS victims, educational charities, providing help to homeless children--what?
At some point, we are going to ask Jeff to help us figure out a way to take this to the next step, but first things first. Tell people about this site and let's get started!
Kate
Kate, there was nothing civil about your conduct at the forum. You pulled gossip out of your arse and was rude to people who tried to help you. You are a cunt. That is all.
Wow, Skip. And you are a gentleman and a scholar. Which forum was that?
Kate
Hi everyone,
Kate had posted about this site at MMJCommunity, and after being banned at Melissa's HTWF for asking one or two very mild questions, I thought I would see what it is like here. I don't know you, Skip, and I don't know what posts of Kate that you are refering to, but I have seen a lot of her posts at HTWF and other sites, and she was never rude to anyone. She also did not gossip as far as I ever saw.
You, on the other hand, have just been appalling to her. Why would you come here from Melissa's HTWF just to be vile and vulgar?
All I ever saw that Kate did was post a lot of facts. And there are a lot of facts about Melissa Johnson and her fake foundation, many of them posted here by Jeff before Kate ever joined HTWF, and many published by CBS News and online at government websites. Kate did not create those facts; Melissa did.
To personally insult someone because you do not like the facts they state, but you cannot refute them, seems to me like the last resort of the willfully ignorant. It is one thing to be ignorant; quite another to be ignorant and proud of it! Skip, you might want to actually look at the facts about Melissa's HTWF before you criticize and insult Kate.
Why be mad at a person who finds the facts and publishes them? Look instead at the cause of the problem: Melissa Johnson has repeatedly led people to believe that her foundation was associated with Michael Jackson when it never was. She has takes money from people based on her promoting that assumption.
This is despicable behavior, if not downright illegal. Good for Kate for pointing this out.
Jeff, thanks for inviting people to your site.
Hi to everyone! I posted about this site on HTWF a couple of days ago (saw one of Kate's posts at michaeljackson.com) and here I am two days later--banned from HTWF. Could not log on this morning. A friend told me in email that they posted that the reason they banned me was "log ins from too many different IP addresses"! The people at HTWF (members) are very nice people, and I feel very sorry about all of it. I was there only a short time, but I liked talking with the people there. Of course one of the main things they were talking about was someone named Bonnie Lorenz who had just been banned for asking questions.
Oh, well. The only thing I know I did "wrong" was put this site address up.
Well, I think that is enough about HTWF. I want to answer Kate's question about the most valuable type of work for us to sponsor in the beginning. I think it should be something simple but hopefully effective, such a scholarship in Michael's name at Oxford, where he gave that amazing speech about parents and children in 2001. I don't know anyone at Oxford, but surely someone does. I did look up tuition costs, and although the Oxford website is pretty vague about costs for US Students, I searched around and found several sources that say a year at Oxford for a US person costs between $30,000 to $40,000--about what a good private university here costs. For UK/EU students, a year is much less--about $7,500 to $10,000.
I think a good goal would be to raise $40,000. If a US person is awarded the scholarship, it will only pay for one year, but if a UK/EU student is awarded the scholarship, it could pay for most of their undergraduate degree.
How to win the scholarship? I think there would have to be a knowledgeable review panel set up--maybe Jeff can help us with that since he is in academics. My idea--and I am sure there are better ones--would be to have an ongoing research effort into Michael's humanitarian and philanthropic work... basically a history of what he actually did to help people and the planet. The research would have to conform to rigorous academic standards, and all the papers written would become part of the body of work, whether the winning dissertation or not.
Anyway, $40,000 a year does not seem like an unattainable amount of money to raise, and it would result in some FACTS about Michael Jackson's life, something that has been in short supply.
Eventually, we could endow a professorship somewhere... I don't know. I just know that I want to see people know the truth about all the good he did, and I want young people to study and learn about what it means to do good with your life.
Anyway, that's my idea.
Lauren, that is a terrific idea! A bonafide record of Michael's humanitarian and philanthropic activities would be a valuable blueprint for all of us who aspire to carry on his charity work. Tying that work to a scholarship at a world class university is a great suggestion.
Now who else has an idea of something attainable that we might could do in the next calendar year?
Kate
BTW, if you have NOT heard Michael's wonderful and important speech at Oxford University in 2001 (he was promoting his Heal The Kids program), please go to youtube NOW and listen to it:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=michael+jackson+oxford+speech+2001&search_type=&aq=f
This link shows all four parts of an excellent upload of this speech. It is a recorded version with all text of the speech onscreen.
Listen to this and I think we can agree that Lauren's idea is a very good one.
Kate
Interesting comments! Creating some sort of fund associated with an existing entity--such as a university or community foundation--could have real advantages. It has the potential of minimizing or eliminating some of the issues that have arisen re MJ-themed charity (getting/maintaining tax exemption; paying employees; connection to estate) while doing real good. A fund set up with the cooperation of the recipient charity could also minimize administrative issues if the recipient charity manages all aspects of it, including the selection of beneficiaries.
Kate and Jeff, thanks very much for liking my idea, and for the constructive suggestions. I know I personally would much prefer to have a legitimate, well-organized school or charity manage the process of this while we focus on raising the money and figuring out how to structure a scholarship to be given for adding to the record of Michael's humanitarian legacy. Well, I know we need help with the actual scholarship structure, but I am talking about the specific things that need to be done in order to be recognized and rewarded with the scholarship.
I think Jeff could be a very big help, especially with in the university and non-profit world. The LAST thing I think anyone here wants to do is another scammy "charity" to take money from Michael's genuine and grieving fans. We are here because we want very much to make a change. We want to follow one of the truest and most sincere examples of a person who lived his philanthropy--Michael--and do the work, not keep the money.
I think one of the most disturbing things I read while at Melissa's fake HTWF site was that all of their initiatives were on hold. Yet this does not stop them from taking people's money every day.
We do not want ANY association with behavior like that.
Also, Kate says she knows someone who can help us put our piece of the program together, and that she has put Jeff in touch with her? Anyway, I am available to help however I can with organization, but I what I really want to focus on is fund-raising.
Please let me know what I can do besides that.
Yea! I can't believe you both like my idea!
Lauren
I am tickled that Jeff likes the scholarship idea, too. It'a a good one, Lauren.
Sent a message to some people tonight who can help Jeff and us with this. Hopefully, we can get this into the real world soon.
More ideas are welcome, but who knows? Maybe we hit it out of the ballpark on the first try...
Here is the latest link someone sent me re: Fake HTWF: http://freeforumzone.leonardo.it/lofi/lettera-della-presidentessa-dell-HEAL-THE-WORLD-FOUNDATION-Melissa-Johnson/D8693861.html
Apparently, Melissa is posting her letters on foreign fan sites to drum up business!?
My friend said he has seen her posts on other sites. This explains why there are so many non-US people at Fake HTWF.
How about that for taking advantage of people for whom English is a second language?
WWMD, I wonder? Forgive her, probably.
Forgive is tough. I know, I know--it is absolutely necessary. Believe me, I'm working on it. It is just so VILE to prey on people in Michael's name. And it is plainly published on the site that no money is going to any charity or program except Fake HTWF for the foreseeable future.
Yet people stay--because they don't know where else to go! Fake HTWF and it's founder Melissa Johnson have bought nearly all of Michael's domain and corporate names to make sure they are the ones people find with Search.
What a coincidence that they "need" to keep all the money they get--and I quote Melissa here--to "fortify the charity". Coincidence? What a marketing plan, I mean.
In other news received from my friends today, we learn that this bizarre woman has not only purchased all of Michael's domains and his foundation's corporate name, but she is also trying to trademark the name "Michael Jackson Heal The World Foundation and Michael's original foundation logo.
She filed this trademark application on July 22, 2009--less than a month after Michael died:
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4006:4lj182.2.3
Does anyone know the process to legally object to this filing? I know there is a way to do it with the USPTO, but I will have to research to find out how. Any advice is appreciated. Who knows, maybe the Jackson estate will get it in gear and do it for us.
If only people would stop sending me this stuff, I may not get to "forgive" immediatley, but I am certain I could at least manage "ignore". OMG, who wants to even think about Fake HTWF?! I know I don't.
I much prefer to concentrate on things like Lauren's brilliant scholarship idea. In fact, I will email both of you (Lauren and Jeff) my thoughts on this soon, as it is too much to post.
Kate
why is the screenshot at the top of this page not showing the fact that you can register and take part without paying?
Welcome, Steve!
Speaking as one who availed herself of the "free" fake HTWF membership at one point, I can say from being there that it makes no difference if you pay or not.
If you ask ANY probing questions about the legitimacy of Melissa's fake Heal The World Foundation and/or its purported connection to Michael Jackson, you will be banned and everything you ever wrote will be deleted from the site.
The "fake" part refers to the fact that Melissa & Co. try very hard to make it seem like Michael Jackson was in some way personally connected to them. They have shown NO proof or evidence of this, yet they continue to pretend there was a connection.
The Jackson estate stated flatly that they have "no connection whatsoever" to the fake HTWF or Melissa Johnson.
Had fake HTWF simply been honest and said they love Michael but did not know him, no one would think less of them. But by pretending to a connection they have never proven, they can get money donated by sincere fans--many foreign--who believe they have found Michael Jackson's foundation. They take money by false pretense every day.
This is awful, frankly. Certainly deceitful, probably criminal, and seriously outrageous behavior by any standard.
The fact that it is "free" to join this perversion of Michael's vision so Melissa Johnson can then write letters to the "members" asking them to support and "fortify the charity" while stating in the same breath that all of their charity work is "on hold"... well, free is hardly relevant, Steve.
This is my view, BTW; it's Jeff's blog, however, and I can't speak for his original screenshot thoughts.
And despite my vehemence on this subject, you are more than welcome to come back and participate in the discussions here. You will not be "banned" for asking questions or disagreeing.
Kate
The foundation is or was indeed Michael's. Heaven forbid the foundation should continue under the direction of the people who have been working with Michael since its inception. Kate, you are a liar and a ratbag.
hi thanks for welcoming me Kate! hmmmmm lets not get nasty now! (skip). I do notice that the HTWF forum now has quite a few posts about the legitimacy of the foundation, although they are not being answered for legal reasons (yes still), they remain on the site.
Maybe it is a new direction by the foundation or not i am not sure, but I know that they exist now, i have seen them myself!lol
I am sure if it was such a big deal then the Jackson family or the lawyers would have been able to silence them by now? the site is still up.
Maybe you should try and get in contact with the jackson family to tell them of the site. I know that the president has been trying to get in contact with the Jackson family, but so far to no avail (according to the presidents CBS email before the "real" CBS report was posted).
i am sure all will be explained on the site soon. I do know that it is likely that the best people to complain to about the foundations possible misleading is the CURRENT Jackson estate? but surely they already know about the site? are they doing anything about it? Are they LEGALLY able to do anything about it!??? this seems odd to me.
No one suggests that the current HTWF should not exist. And whatever the Jackson estate wants to do about it is up to them. I don't sense that anyone is on a mission here to stop Melissa Johnson's foundation from existing.
The question has always been--why pretend Michael Jackson was associated with and endorsed Melissa's foundation if he did not? I am one of the many banned from the site for asking that question.
It is a simple question and requires a simple answer: Did Michael know about and endorse this organization while he was alive? So far, there has been no evidence that he did. If he did, prove it and everyone will shut up. If he did not, tell the truth and everyone will shut up.
It is the taking of monies from people who believe that this current organization is MICHAEL'S original HTWF, when it clearly is not, that has caused all the uproar. It does not seem legitimate, and that is understandably concerning. It is supposed to be a non-profit charity, with accountability and transparency. Melissa applying to trademark Michael's initials to put on armbands, backpacks and action figures sort of takes it down a different road.
You raise good questions about the Jackson estate, Steve, but I think the reality is that those of us who post on uncivilsociety.org are much more interested in what we can practically do to honor Michael's legacy and continue his life's work than we are in what happens to Melissa's HTWF.
I personally would not recommend anyone waste any time trying to contact the Jackson estate or the Jackson family. CBS News has already done that, obviously, because the estate spokesperson made a statement disclaiming any connection to Melissa and her HTWF. If the estate wants to take action, it is more than able to do so with no help from the fans.
I want to help this group of dedicated people honor Michael and help heal the world. The current HTWF is not of much interest to me anymore, but I did want to post in response to your comments.
It's good to have courteously presented alternative views--and even better if those views have facts attached. Let me join Kate in welcoming you, Steve.
And Skip--for shame. From what I have seen, Kate has only written what happened to her and many of us--we were banned for asking for proof of Melissa's bonafide connection to Michael Jackson. That is a fact.
You disagree with Kate; fine. That does not make her a liar (your least deplorably perjorative term). The links and so forth that Kate has posted are available to anyone with a web connection.
If "the people who have been working with Michael since its inception" ever prove that statement is true--great. Until then, we have questions.
The assertion that "The foundation is or was indeed Michael's" is an unproven statement, Skip, and ad hominem attacks on Kate don't address the real problem: Despite all of the many protestations and assertions by current HTWF that Michael Jackson himself knew of and endorsed their work, they have never shown the world any evidence that proves it.
No one suggests that the current HTWF should not exist. And whatever the Jackson estate wants to do about it is up to them. I don't sense that anyone is on a mission here to stop Melissa Johnson's foundation from existing.
The question has always been--why pretend Michael Jackson was associated with and endorsed Melissa's foundation if he did not? I am one of the many banned from the site for asking that question.
It is a simple question and requires a simple answer: Did Michael know about and endorse this organization while he was alive? So far, there has been no evidence that he did. If he did, prove it and everyone will shut up. If he did not, tell the truth and everyone will shut up.
It is the taking of monies from people who believe that this current organization is MICHAEL'S original HTWF, when it clearly is not, that has caused all the uproar. It does not seem legitimate, and that is understandably concerning. It is supposed to be a non-profit charity, with accountability and transparency. Melissa applying to trademark Michael's initials to put on armbands, backpacks and action figures sort of takes it down a different road.
You raise good questions about the Jackson estate, Steve, but I think the reality is that those of us who post on uncivilsociety.org are much more interested in what we can practically do to honor Michael's legacy and continue his life's work than we are in what happens to Melissa's HTWF.
I personally would not recommend anyone waste any time trying to contact the Jackson estate or the Jackson family. CBS News has already done that, obviously, because the estate spokesperson made a statement disclaiming any connection to Melissa and her HTWF. If the estate wants to take action, it is more than able to do so with no help from the fans.
I want to help this group of dedicated people honor Michael and help heal the world. The current HTWF is not of much interest to me anymore, but I did want to post in response to your comments.
It's good to have courteously presented alternative views--and even better if those views have facts attached. Let me join Kate in welcoming you, Steve.
And Skip--for shame. From what I have seen, Kate has only written what happened to her and many of us--we were banned for asking for proof of Melissa's bonafide connection to Michael Jackson. That is a fact.
You disagree with Kate; fine. That does not make her a liar (your least deplorably perjorative term). The links and so forth that Kate has posted are available to anyone with a web connection.
If "the people who have been working with Michael since its inception" ever prove that statement is true--great. Until then, we have questions.
The assertion that "The foundation is or was indeed Michael's" is an unproven statement, Skip, and ad hominem attacks on Kate don't address the real problem: Despite all of the many protestations and assertions by current HTWF that Michael Jackson himself knew of and endorsed their work, they have never shown the world any evidence that proves it.
Not sure why my comments posted twice. If you can delete one of them, Jeff, please do.
You should dig a little deeper. There are things that a lot of people don't know about this charity. Did you know that the president of the organization said that she was bestowed a vision by God that she would initiate the new "HTWF" with Michael? Check this site out...it's hers:
http://mjfoundation.com/mjonly/docs/NewHaven.htm
The listed e-mail address I have posted here is fake, by the way.
Can anyone see this? I'm having problems with the site.
I can see your posts. Just went to your link to the mjfoundation site about "New Haven".
This is... quite disturbing. It is cultic, strange, and deals with a plan for a level of mind control over innocent children that I find to be borderline psychotic--psychosis being defined as "a mental disorder characterized by symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations, that indicate impaired contact with reality".
It is definitely a bizarre take on reality.
How did you find this site?
Check out this Yahoo group: Vindication Better Than Tributes: http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Vindication_Better_Than_Tributes/
I just joined and invited them here to learn about the Michael Jackson HIStory Scholarship (working title ;-).
Their objective is to see Michael vindicated in the media. I know we ALL share that objective. I am thinking we should start a Yahoo group for the Scholarship, perhaps?
Anyway, my posts on the message board there are #265 and #266.
If we can help them, we should.
Kate
This is an interesting site, told to come here to find stuff about mj. I saw a great video
that vindicates Michael called Michael Jackson: The untold story of neverland. its on amazon.
I'm a fan of mj and this video is awesome.
my email is a fake too, fyi
I think we may have to agree to disagree then. I certainly agree that no one needs bother contacting the family. at the end of the day, if the foundation was doing something wrong in Michaels name then it wont last long and would be shut down.
I cannot see that link either. What a shame it no longer exists, I think it is unfair to post about it when we cannot see it ourselves!!! Words without proof can be so damaging, we know that remember.
Re the MJ trademarks, I heard something behind the scenes about reasoning for these trademarks, some kind of US law or something. she did also file some connected trademarks before michaels death. Merchandising, do you know how much merchanising can bring in for charities?!!! A LOT I would imagine, much needed money really. Money allows amazing things to be done. Hopefully their actions will speak louder than their words in months to come when they really start to make a difference.
as far as i know know one else has been banned from the forum and many questions about the foundation and it being fake are up there.
i believe legal issues run deaper than ANY of us can ever imagine, so you wouldnt go flat out trying to convince individuals at the expense of the whole charity. its definately not worth the risk.
i do hope you hold out until your questions are answered though! For the moment I believe them and are helping by contributing to connected charities as opposed to the charity directly, until i know for sure.
i very much think that vindication instead of tributes is a good idea. an unachievable dream though? The media is a money machine and normal people are paying for it. Supply and demand.
Much peace.
Steve
It'll probably be gone soon, but here's another one of her sites....
This will probably be gone by morning, but here ya go...another site by Melissa Johnson http://michaelsarmy.org/
wow, I read that michaels army site and
if that is the kind of stuff you are saying is
cultic and strange,
"This is... quite disturbing. It is cultic, strange, and deals with a plan for a level of mind control over innocent children that I find to be borderline psychotic--psychosis being defined as "a mental disorder characterized by symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations, that indicate impaired contact with reality".
It is definitely a bizarre take on reality."
then YOU need to get your head examined dude. That stuff about Michaels army rocks! I'm sick of people calling anything good michael tried to do as strange and cultic. Melissa sounds like
she wants to make michael a legend for charity,
that stuff is not done by a 'impared person' dude! get a grip
Tomas
With all respect, Tomas, there is no proof at all that Michael Jackson ever had anything to do with Melissa Johnson or any of her activities. No one called what Michael did "strange and cultic". That was said about Melissa.
I believe most of us are pretty tired of all things Melissa at this point, and we really don't have much interest in what she does. Everyone knows by now (thank you, CBS News) that Michael's foundation had no connection with the current HTWF, and that question was the most interesting thing about her. If Melissa can get people to follow her odd objectives, woot for her.
Moving on.
There are so many people out here doing so much for Michael's legacy. Here is an example I found today. This is probably the best article I have ever read about Michael as a humanitarian: http://elitestv.com/pub/2009/07/celebrity-scales-michael-jackson-the-wounded-messenger-star-studded-legal-commentary-for-the-celebrity-obsessed
I think we need to contact the author about the Michael Jackson HIStory Scholarship.
Kate
"Michael's foundation had no connection with the current HTWF"
does it say that? thats confusing.
"the HTWF has no connection to the current estate" is what it said I thought?
words a are quite important to get right, and why CBS said in the intro "has no connection to his estate. " then further down in this same article it says "no connection to the pop star’s current estate."
that is quite a significant difference, simple, but important i feel. Everyone know its not connected to his CURRENT estate. new management staff can say anything. I cant wait to see this proof by the foundation that they think will prove all of this! anyway, there are so many issues with the wording in that article that I wont bother posting here, i know you are you are trying to steer away from the subject! quite rightly too, its boring me to tears! lol.
love that article Kate. articles likes this a re few and far between these days.
Steve
Sorry; let me clarify my sources, Steve. I did say thank you to CBS News for their coverage, but my conclusion that Melissa's charity has never had anything to do with Michael's original Heal The World Foundation comes from my own research.
It's very clear in public record (California Secretary of State and Attorney General's Office are two sources; there are many others) that these two entities were never legally connected in any way.
The IRS treats them as two separate entities with no connection whatsoever, and so forth.
However, the most convincing thing I ever personally saw was Melissa Johnson's own myspace page where she herself said in 2007 that one of the people whom she "most wanted to meet" was Michael Jackson. She has claimed a 15 year history of working with Michael in writings of hers that I have read, but never met him...?
Yes, she has blocked her myspace page now, and edited everything else she could online to remove any statements she has made in the past that conflict with the statements she is making now (her posts from last year at MJJCommunity were virtually deleted). It looks to me like she is trying to figure out a story and stick to it. I never understood what was wrong with the truth--whatever it is.
It is peculiar to say the least. And it does not sound like a connection between the two foundations to me, Steve. This is my conclusion, not a quote from the CBS News article.
You seem to believe her, so I don't want to be insulting about any of it. Time, as they say, will tell.
Here is another great Michael link for everyone: http://www.eternalmoonwalk.com/
This is awesome, guys.
Kate
some of us were going to submit a moonwalk to that page, but up until about 2 weeks ago that were allowing submissions, but now they have removed it :-(
See this for proof:
http://www.thesilencedtruth.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65&Itemid=59