Michael Jackson Birthday Bash Details Spike Lee Brooklyn Block Party August 29th at The Insider

Spike Lee is hosting a block party in Brooklyn to celebrate the birthday of the King of Pop and everyone is invited. The venue was changed for the party due to the number of fans who are expected to flock to remember MJ. The Reverend Al Sharpton is also scheduled to lead a prayer in Michael Jackson’s memory. We must let you know that everything will go on as planned rain or shine. Here are the updated details from 40 Acres.:

WHO —> Spike Lee & The Great Borough of Brooklyn

to celebrate the 51st Birthday of MICHAEL JACKSON

“THE KING OF POP”

WHEN —> Saturday, August 29th 2009

from 12noon til 5pm

WHERE —> Prospect Park, Nethermead Meadow

with DJ Spinna on the Wheels of Steel

Rain or shine this event will take place.

Marty Markowitz, the Brooklyn borough president, will present a proclamation declaring the day Michael Jackson Day in Brooklyn. The Rev. Al Sharpton will supply the prayer. DJ Spinna will supply the music.

On Saturday, thousands are expected to fill the Nethermead meadow in the center of Prospect Park to celebrate Mr. Jackson’s life on what would have been his 51st birthday. The party, originally planned as a block-party-style gathering for 2,000 in Fort Greene Park, was moved to Prospect Park, which is larger, to accommodate a crowd that organizers believe could grow to 10,000.

The free event will be from noon to 5 p.m., rain or shine.

The celebration is being organized by the director Spike Lee, who filmed Mr. Jackson in Brazil for the music video for “They Don’t Care About Us,” a controversial song from Mr. Jackson’s 1995 album, “HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I.” Mr. Jackson went back into the studio to change some of the words in the song after the album was released, in response to accusations that the lyrics were anti-Semitic. [source]

In an interview this month with The Root, an online magazine on black culture, Mr. Lee said of the party: “It’s going to just be how we do it, Brooklyn style, I’ll leave it at that. It’s going to be a joyous, festive, celebratory party.” He also said: “We’re of the same era. I wanted my Afro to be perfectly round like Michael’s, all that stuff.”

Paul J. Browne, the New York Police Department spokesman, said that while the police did not have a precise estimate of how many people would attend, they had suggested moving the party from Fort Greene Park to Prospect Park to better handle a bigger crowd. “It seemed reasonable to anticipate over 2,000, and that it would be more prudent to have a larger venue as a result,” he said. [source]

Directions

The Nethermead is most accessible from the 16th Street and Prospect Park Southwest entrance, the Bartel-Pritchard entrance, the 9th Street entrance, the 3rd Street entrance or the Willink Entrance at Ocean and Flatbush Avenues. Click here to view this location on our Interactive Map.By Public Transportation: (MTA map)
• F Train to 15th St./Prospect Park station or 7th Ave. station
• 2 or 3 Train to Grand Army Plaza station
• Q Train to Parkside Ave. station
• B-41 or B-71 Bus along Flatbush Ave. to Grand Army Plaza
• B-69 Bus along Prospect Park West
• B-75 Bus along 9th St. to 9th St. Entrance

By Car:
• From Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges: Take Flatbush Ave. to Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park West exit to 3rd, 9th or 15th St.
• From BQE: Take BQE to 38th St. exit, make left on 4th Ave. and right on any street between 14th St. and 3rd St. to Prospect Park West.