Michael Jackson
Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Michael Joseph Jackson
Date of Birth: August 29, 1958
Place of Birth: Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Date of Death: June 25, 2009
Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Ethnicity: African-American
Michael Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor. He was nicknamed the “King of Pop.” He electrified audiences with his stage performances and dance routines.
Michael was the son of Katherine/Kattie Esther/B. (Scruse), who had played clarinet and piano, and aspired to be a country-and-western musician, and Joseph Walter Jackson, who played guitar with a rhythm and blues band, the Falcons. He was the brother of singer, songwriter, and actress Janet Jackson and singer and songwriter La Toya Jackson. He had three children, including Paris Jackson. Musicians 3T (Tariano Jackson, Taryll Jackson, and Tito Jackson) are his nephews.
Michael went through an abusive childhood at the hands of his father, Joseph.
Despite the controversies in Michael’s life, he has always been loved by his fans. Michael died on June 25, 2009, at the age of 50, due to cardiac arrest.
Michael Jackson was African-American.
Michael’s father had stated that he has Native American ancestry. Michael’s brother Jermaine has said this also. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented. Joseph also stated that he had some European roots. It has also been said that Michael’s mother has Blackfoot Native American ancestry, also as yet unverified, at least publicly.
Michael’s paternal grandfather was Samuel Joseph Jackson (the son of Israel Nero Jackson and Emeline Williams). Samuel was born in Mississippi, and was said to be of partial Choctaw Native American descent; as well as having black ancestry. It is not clear if this has been verified. Israel and Emeline are listed only as “Black” on United States censuses. Israel was the son of Jack July Gayle/Milam and Mary Freeman or Gina Gale.
Michael’s paternal grandmother was Crystal Lee King (the daughter of Samuel King and Gertrude Daniel). Crystal was born in Arkansas. Samuel was the son of William King and Nellie. Gertrude was the daughter of Thomas “Tom” Daniel and Martha “Mattie” Cason. Mattie was said to be the daughter of a white woman and a black slave man.
Jackson in 1988, photo by Alan Light
Michael’s maternal grandfather was Prince Albert Screws/Scruse (the son of Prince Scruse/Screws and Julia Belle/Bell Jordan). Michael’s grandfather Prince was born in Alabama. Michael’s great-grandfather Prince was the son of Prince Screws and Mary Etta Denson. Julia was the daughter of Julius Willis Jordan and Rosetta Hall.
Michael’s maternal grandmother was Martha “Mattie” Upshaw (the daughter of Daniel Upshaw and Jeanette/Jennetta Brown). Martha was born in Alabama. Daniel was the son of Jonas Upshaw and Minerva Grant. Jeanette was the daughter of Columbus Brown and Henrietta Peterson.
Sources: Genealogies of Michael Jackson – http://www.wargs.com
http://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com
Information (some potentially unverified) on Michael’s family history – http://www.truemichaeljackson.com
http://i845.photobucket.com
Michael’s paternal great-grandparents, Israel Nero Jackson and Emeline Williams, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Israel Nero Jackson and Emeline Williams on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Israel Nero Jackson and Emeline Williams on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Israel Nero Jackson and Emeline Williams on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Likely Michael’s great-grandfather, Israel Nero Jackson, on the 1870 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Michael’s maternal grandparents, Prince Albert Screws/Scruse and Martha “Mattie” Upshaw, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Clipping of an article on his ancestors: http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/MJMedia09/mjroots.jpg~original
So it’s his maternal grandfather you’re saying was part Native American now?
While this is also hearsay, a descendant of July Gale says here that July was a slave.
http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=5899&p=surnames.jacksonhttp://boards.ancestry.co.uk/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=5899&p=surnames.jackson
Given the names of his sisters listed on the census, I’m reasonably sure that’s the correct Israel Nero Jackson listed in 1870. No other person with the same name and age seems to have lived in Mississippi. It’s entirely possible “July Gale” was a family legend of some sort. I’m not sure if his existence has been proven (it may have been).
Stories of Native American ancestry seem to be even more, or at least as, common among African-Americans as they are among white Americans. At this point I don’t believe either without some documented evidence.
It is claimed that both Joseph and Katherine Jackson have Native American ancestry.
I know it’s not confirmed, I am just posting what I find on the matter.
I personally believe the Jackson’s, although I know it could all be family myth.
I don’t think we will get documented evidence since records for black and biracial people (one drop rule) are more difficult to find because of insufficient record keeping for blacks before the Civil War. :( White American ancestry is far better documented.
Hopefully, we get more valid information in the future.
@savanna
Even with white people, I wouldn’t trust the paper work. Another problem with the blk/native mix, is that many didn’t live within the tribes, so they wouldn’t have been documented. During relocations, many of these mixes left, without being put on record. Also a lot of family records were destroyed during fires(whole city blocks when up like that). Just putting this in here.
If @Bearboy was to guess his hero Michael Jackson has Native American ancestry. @Bearboy even read somewhere that African-American’s were on average 2% Native American!
From Michael’s brother Jermain Jackson’s book, “You Are Not Alone, Michael: Through a Brother’s Eyes”:
“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, passed down from both the Choctaw and Blackfoot tribes. The inherited physical attributes were our high cheek bones, light skin and hairless chests”. (pg. 49)
https://books.google.com/books?id=tk0zQIaFrccC&printsec=frontcover&dq=you+are+not+alone+jermaine+jackson+book&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiR9-rpz8jKAhVDn4MKHZGOCagQ6wEILDAA#v=onepage&q=native&f=false
“[Michael was] Native-American Indian by ancestry” (pg. 345)
https://books.google.com/books?id=ZPxVCVduMb4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=you+are+not+alone+jermaine+jackson+book&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiR9-rpz8jKAhVDn4MKHZGOCagQ6AEIMTAB#v=onepage&q=native&f=false
It seems possible that there is some Native American ancestry, maybe it just went unrecorded??
The census takers saw their grandparents as black, hence why they were listed as such, I doubt they cared whether or not they had any other ancestry.(especially in the South)
Of course it’s possible. That’s why I wrote “It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented”, as opposed to “Michael had no Native American ancestry”.
Just last week, Maya Rudolph stated on Finding Your Roots that her family believed that one of her maternal grandparents’ mothers was a (full-blooded, I think) Native American, but then Maya’s DNA result showed no Native American ancestry at all. Stories of Native American ancestry among African-Americans are quite common.
If a person was of mixed African-American and Native American ancestry, they were usually listed as black (or “Mulatto”) on the census. Sometimes, as with Rebecca Hall’s grandfather, they were listed as “Indian” (I am not even sure if her grandfather actually had Native American ancestry, or if he was just trying to hide his black ancestry). So I know the census is not definitive in ruling out Native American roots.
True. I’m not ignoring the mentions of this ancestry within the article.
The thing with the Jackson is that they specially mention Choctaw and Blackfoot tribes as their ancestors rather than “I have some Native American in me!” (as many celebrity have and continue to claim). Joe Jackson explicitly names his great-grandfather Jack as Choctaw Native-American.
IMO “possible Native American” should be added/tagged to their Ethnicity, since there is a stronger possibly of it being true, compared to say one of the Jonas Brothers who have “possible Native American” listed.
People who claim Native American ancestry usually mention specific tribes. It’s not that rare. Johnny Depp has mentioned at least three tribes, as I recall.
Is there really a stronger possibility for the Jacksons than for the Jonases?
Do they usually mention a specific ancestor? Someone like Johnny Depp has mostly white ancestors so it is easier to disprove the Native American heritage since there are more records of his ancestors.
They often do mention a specific ancestor, like Maya Rudolph did, or like Depp often does (he usually points to his maternal grandfather as having been of mostly Native American descent). Kevin Costner said that his paternal grandfather was of half Cherokee descent.
As you can see below, I probably found a census record of Michael’s great-great-grandfather, the one who was supposed to be Native American.
BTW, the reason I listed “possible Cherokee Native American” for the Jonases is that I don’t know who their paternal grandfather was, so the data I have to work with is incomplete.
“The name Jackson was received by us from my great-grandfather on the part of the father, July Gale. Nobody called him July, everybody called him just Jack. Great-grandfather Jack was born in tribe Choctaw in the beginning of 19 century… Then great-grandfather has fallen in love with the fine girl by name Gina. In 1838 they gave birth to their first son, a boy whom they have named Israel. Unfortunately in past was so, that if one of the child’s parents was a slave, the child also was considered a slave. Indian Jack was ” the free person “, but my great-grandmother unfortunately was a slave. When Israel had grown up, people have nicknamed him Nero. Nero, son of Jack, and eventually from this it has turned to Nero Jack-son.” – Joe Jackson
Israel was apparently mixed, but he was still considered Black regardless.
This is just my personal opinion, but I am more inclined to believe someone who is black when they say they have Native ancestry over a white person. American black people don’t have the extensive family trees that white people do, due to slavery (we all now this). I know it is possible that it’s just family folklore that they have certain ancestors, but I trust that they MAY have some more insight into their family history than what we know publically.
Also here is Michael’s maternal grandfather: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=38862329
(he looks partially Native American in this picture (to me at least): http://image1.findagrave.com/photos/2009/226/38862329_125036036330.jpg )
I believe this is Michael’s great-grandfather, Israel Nero Jackson, on the 1870 U.S. Census. If Israel’s siblings names listed on geni.com are correct, then it’s Israel, and thus Israel’s parents were William Jackson and Lucinda, both African-American.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF3Z-PKH
When you view this record there is no Nero listed (that I can see).. Israel “Nero”‘s father was not Wm Jackson, it was July Gale Milam.
There is also a claim of Blackfoot ancestry on Katherine Jackson’s side, again not documented or verified from what I can find.
His great-grandfather Israel Nero Jackson is the son of July Gayle (Milam) known as “Jack”. The name Jackson is derived from “son of Jack”.
1. http://www.geni.com/people/Jack-Gayle/6000000008491800565
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=17L_BgAAQBAJ&pg=PT9&lpg=PT9&dq=jack+gale+nero&source=bl&ots=MXXy6Pfttt&sig=C516wbSD7wL2On_pOUcsP1liLOc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjptvzYuZPKAhXKOD4KHRoGCaAQ6AEIKjAD#v=onepage&q=jack%20gale%20nero&f=false
1. http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Jackson-12129