Eternal Polk The crowd at the Michael Jackson memorial concert in Prospect Park.Everyone believed it would be rained out. After all, the rain had started the day before, continued into the morning, with more thunderstorms predicted for the entire day. But at noon, it was as if someone in the heavens turned a dial — maybe the “King of Pop” himself — and the rain stopped, precisely in time for the festivities to begin.
Eternal Polk Spike Lee captures the scene, while others capture him.Film writer and producer Spike Lee, with Keistar Promotions, held a posthumous tribute in Brooklyn yesterday to Michael Jackson on his birthday. The outdoor party, originally scheduled to take place in Fort Greene Park, was predicted to attract upwards of 10,000 people. But following complaints by concerned residents about whether Fort Greene Park could sustain a crowd of that size, it was moved to the larger venue of Prospect Park. It went over without a hitch.
Eternal Polk Some cried, most were joyful, in celebration of M.J.
Eternal Polk Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly took in the peaceful scene in Prospect Park.“I think it’s going extremely well,” said Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. He looked happy and relaxed in a white polo shirt, glancing around at the crowd, the jumbotron and the stage. “Initially, the weather held the crowd back. But [Michael] is an amazing entertainer, and you can see people are here to just show their appreciation for him.”
It was a Brooklyn family affair where, for once, being packed like sardines felt like a privilege. Aside from a brief, 10-minute sun shower, there were no disruptions. And if sun showers produce rainbows, then the audience represented every color in it.
The crowd included little girls in colorful princess dresses and matching rain boots, mothers who carefully navigated strollers over the wet grass, hordes of college students, Michael Jackson look-alikes and a diverse mix of 30- and 40-somethings, who gathered to dance and sing to the melodies of a man whose music spans 40 years.
Spike Lee, the Rev. Al Sharpton, comedian Tracy Morgan and radio personalities Ed Lover and Free traded the microphone on stage, exciting the crowd with words of love and support for Michael, while DJ Spinna played some of Michael’s most popular standards: “Thriller,” “P.Y.T.,” “Rock With You.”
“It’s music that brings people together,” said Mosi Secret, 30, a writer and a Fort Greene resident. “It was such a long, downward spiral for Michael, it’s not really like saying goodbye, but more like a time to celebrate.”
“I think the diversity of this crowd is proof that Michael touched everybody, no barriers,” said T’ai “Freedom” Ford, a Clinton Hill resident, poet and English teacher. “Why couldn’t we have a party like this when he was alive, because it’s moments like these that keep people going.”
Rain aside, it was a pretty great day in Brooklyn for Michael Jackson and his fans. You could probably hear the music and chanting for miles: “Mama se, mama sa, ma ma coo sa!” Does anyone even know what that means? It doesn’t matter. For those moments, it became the universal language of love.
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