Often considered as a risk to one’s career at the time, The song was Michael’s entrance into a very select group ofĪrtists who use their position to inform the masses about the injustices that Protest songs calling for the people of Jamaica to stand up to racism and fightĪgainst the system, “You can fool some people sometimes, but you can’t fool all Marley’s famous hit ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ which was one of his most significant

The song draws distinct parallels with Reggae artist Bob To overcome and points to Martin Luther King, noting that “If Martin Luther Sees Michael call out the continued racial prejudice that he had been fighting “Tell me what hasīecome of my rights”, “black man, blackmail, throw your brother in jail” Particularly in the last decade since Michael’s passing. Its lyrics set out a dialogue that has become identifiable, Other side, he embodied the essence of what he had shared in his book andĭemonstrated that “People who have it, take a stand.” And he had it, so His spirit was indeedĬrippled by people who were attempting to control his life. Hands of overzealous law enforcement was his low point. Pain medication and the humiliating ordeal of the body strip search at the In 1993, when the allegations hit, Michael’s addiction to People who have it take a stand and put their They were never going to let that happen again. They knew what it was to have your spirit crippled by people whoĪre controlling your life. In his 1988 autobiography Moonwalk, Michael said “Whenīlack people in America finally got out from under that crushing system, they (‘Can You Feel It’, ‘Black or White’), He also addressed the issue withĭetermination and resolution. Though in many senses he did so through encouraging love and unity Yet, Michael had long been speaking up about institutional Labelled a racist and was deemed as having no right to want to speak up because Police brutality and racial inequality on ‘They Don’t Care About Us’ he was criticised, Rotation and forced an end to the colour divisions that the network had longĮnacted, it was generally seen as a move in the right direction at a pace ofĬhange that worked for the white networks. When ‘Billie Jean’ was added to MTV’s regular Industry and for Black Americans, he had done so in a way that was deemedĭynamic, yet compromising. In truth, while Michael set out to make change both in the

Over two decades later, it has become a vital tool in speaking out against political unrest, social injustice and racial inequality, which was what Michael intended for it to become. Arguably, it has transcended the idea of being just another Michael Jackson hit and has evolved into a statement in its own right. Considering the legacy of ‘They Don’t Care About Us’ as simply a song to be analysed would be to do it a disservice.

Michael jackson they dont care about us