One thing we can learn from Michael Jackson’s life is a greater awareness of the skin disease he had.

Jackson suffered from vitiligo, an autoimmune system disease affecting about 1 million to 2 million Americans that causes stark white patches in the skin.

Although early on Jackson used makeup to even his skin color, he eventually chose a treatment option, suggested for people whose white patches cover more than 50 percent of their bodies, to have all his pigment removed.

The expensive permanent treatment left him completely white and the target of scurrilous critics and comics who said Jackson did not want to be black.

There was extremely little understanding of the struggle that must have been required for Jackson to face the world with an altered appearance that for once was not entirely his choice.

Although people of all races have vitiligo, Dr. Anthony Peterson, a dermatologist at Loyola University Hospital, has said, “The darker the skin, the more noticeable it is. The contrast is what people notice.”

Many people with diseases like vitiligo have to alter their appearance to face daily life without stares and outright rejection. Jackson did not often speak out about his condition.

Only a few public figures have talked about the challenge of vitiligo. Black Detroit television newsman Lee Thomas wrote a memoir called “Turning White.” And John Wiley Price, a Dallas County commissioner, spoke about how he uses makeup and other treatments to deal with pale patches caused by vitiligo on his deep brown face.

Depending on the kind of disorder, some wear wigs to hide bald spots and unusual hair color; some wear heavy makeup; some get specialized treatments to alleviate pain and other symptoms. All face the world armed with their courage.

Doctors like Peterson now believe that vitiligo holds important clues to the nature of melanoma, arthritis, lupus and many other autoimmune diseases. There is a growing list of organizations doing research on vitiligo as part of their mission to discover the genetic links among various disorders and provide support and better treatment to people who have a variety of diseases.

Among them are the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (one of the National Institutes of Health), the American Academy of Dermatology, the National Vitiligo Foundation, the American Vitiligo Research Foundation, and Vitiligo Support International.

So if you have ever sung along with Michael Jackson, or tried to do the moonwalk (and who hasn’t?), one of the best tributes you can give him is to learn about skin diseases, join efforts to advocate for research funding and support organizations that help children and families deal with these conditions.

Let us, as we continue to grieve, commit ourselves to increasing our understanding of, and compassion for, those who are afflicted with skin diseases.

Starita Smith is a doctoral student and instructor in sociology at the University of North Texas in Denton. She is also an award-winning journalist formerly with the Austin American-Statesman and The Dispatch in Columbus, Ohio. She can be reached at pmproj [at] progressive [dot] org.