Michael Jackson’s child molestation trial is now over and this is as good a time as any to ask: Why do we expend so much time and emotional capital on the trials and tribulations of entertainers and athletes? Instead of seeing them performing on stage or the basketball court, we’re now just as likely to see them in court or on Court TV. The list includes Mike Tyson, O.J. Simpson, Little Kim, Kobe Bryant, Mystikal, ad infinitum.

With all the talk of personal responsibility, it’s time to exercise some collective responsibility. In doing so, we must stop letting others select our role models. Our most trusted role models should not be entertainers and athletes. Michael Jackson is not a role model. Regardless of what the verdict had been in his trial, Michael Jackson is not someone you would want to baby-sit a relative, especially a young male relative. Some observers said the 3-month trial, covered by more than 2,000 journalists from around the world, was essentially a contest to determine who was the weirdest: Jackson or the mother of the 13-year-old cancer patient?

When he comes down from his tree house, Michael, at the age of 46, sees nothing wrong with sleeping in a bed with young boys. No matter how you slice it, that’s sick. The tabloids shouldn’t call him Whacko Jacko, they should refer to him as Sicko Jacko. Yet, too many of us are quick to excuse his behavior, claiming he’s being picked on because of his race.

That’s ridiculous. What race? As Attorney Thomas N. Todd, a longtime civil rights activist in Chicago likes to say, Michael says it doesn’t matter whether you’re Black or White. But it’s clear from his appearance, that Michael is not taking any chances.

Have you seen the latest videotapes of Michael Jackson? I am not sure if anyone in the Adams Family would want to share a bed with him. He has a Scary Curl, a butchered nose (Do you remember when little Michael had a Black nose?) and his skin looks like it has been covered with a pail of white-out. And he sings about the man in the mirror. What man?

I know, I know. Some of you think I am picking on Michael. No, he chose to be the King of Weirdness. These are self-inflicted wounds. Sure, he is entitled to be as weird as he’d like. But stop propping Michael and these other misfits up as heroes.

Last week, I gave a Juneteenth speech in Corpus Christi, Texas. The 10-day ceremony, headed by Gloria Scott and sponsored by the local Black Chamber of Commerce, honored the academic achievements of middle- and high school students. In talking with the students, it became clear that they had been inspired not by the likes of Michael Jackson and O.J. Simpson, but ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

When I think back to my own childhood in Tuscaloosa, Ala., those who inspired me most were my family; Mr. Robert L. Glynn, the head of my housing project; McDonald Hughes, my no-nonsense high school principal; Mrs. Hazel Hackett, my high school guidance counselor; Mr. Edward Jenkins, my scoutmaster; Mr. Robert Wade, a neighbor who helped guide young people, especially the males; Mr. Luke Richardson, Coaches Henry Holbert, Lou Mims, Hugh and Thomas Martin; Mr. Willie and a bunch of women who smothered us with unconditional love and confidence: Miss Dot, Miss Betty, Ma Sis, Mrs. McCane, Miss Myrtle Lee, Miss Bessie, Mrs. Henderson, Mrs. Hazel, Miss Edna, Mrs. Lottie, Miss Bernice, Mrs. Lula Mae, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth. Miss “Sick” Mary, Mrs. Temple, Miss Laura and too many others to name.

Reflecting on our childhood memories should remind us of the impact we can have on young people, just as our elders had on us. It doesn’t have to be anything large. Sometimes it can be a kind word or expressing confidence in a kid. You never know until years later, if then, how much impact you’ve had on a person’s life.

So whenever a Michael Jackson or O.J. Simpson falls from grace, don’t think about it as tarnishing the image of a Black hero. The real heroes and she-roes are not athletes and entertainers. They were and are the everyday people who take time out of their lives to inspire and encourage those in need of hope. The next time someone tries to depict an athlete or entertainer as a role model, tell them to Beat It.