NAACP Image Awards Speech (1993)

I really wasn’t expecting to win this. I was … I love you all very, very much.
Thank you to the NAACP and all of you. You are very dear, sweet, loving people. Thank you so much!
First I’d like to say ‘Thank you’ to my mother. You see her tonight — she’s the one in blue.
Thank you for giving me life — I really mean that.

I love you!

[Screaming fans in the audience. Michael laughs]

I love you, too.

There are two things which the NAACP stands for which are the most important things in my life: freedom and equality.
In every person there is a secret song in their heart. It says: ‘I am free!’, it sings: ‘I am One!’.
This is the natural feeling of every child. To be free as the wind, to be one with every other child. All the troubles in the world are caused by forgetting this feeling.
And when I perform my connection is with people [sic] to just remind me of that: to be free and to be One.
In this spirit the NAACP has done its cherished work.
Thank you for having the faith to see that I share your work — for I deeply feel I do.
I accept this award on behalf of the world’s healing.
When all our brothers and sisters will be as free and equal as we are today.

I love you so much and I am very honoured and thank you for this award.

Thank you so much.