People sing They Don't Care About Us at US protest

[AtlasAir]

That's what the music industy (if not the entire world!) needs these days!

Songs nowadays are about sex, drugs and partys.

MJ made great anthems...

but i like my sex, drugs, and party songs IN ADDITION TO the positive role model stuff.

 

[marialovesmjj]

I see some people need to read up more on the current issues. Not surprising given how the media is. Anyway thanks for sharing. The song certainly fits.

 

[Smooth72]

Are y'all serious with this? Wow.
The line that really stuck out at me was "the officer was not charged."

So that means he's in the right? Um.... y'all must not be paying attention.

I guess George Zimmerman is a-okay too because he wasn't sentenced to prison either, huh?

Wow! I never said I agreed with this particular ruling. I was just helping someone understand what the poster was referring to. And yes I stated a fact the officer was not charged. I didn't say agreed with that. I said there are two side of the story and there always is. In my opinion he was not held responsible because the GJ didn't hold him personally responsible, why did that happen? My view would be because there were so many other officers involved maybe. Many officers are responsible not just one. I must say people are quick to judge and point to race and stereotyping on this board. I am not either of those in the least. From now on, I will stick to Mj and his music. I'm in this fight two you know. I hear enough crap from people all the time. Remember myself and everyone on this board deal with stereotyping, media lies and hatred everyday. We all do defend and support a multi accused, so called pediphile and drug addict.

 

[HIStory]

^^ Well, what you wrote implied that you agreed with the "fools" commenter, since you said "Just because there is a protest Dosen't make the cause right".

I think the poster is referring to the people who are protesting. Just because there is a protest Dosen't make the cause right. There are two sides to the story . The officer was not charged.

About this particular case there is a video. There is nothing "foolish" in thinking the cops have overstepped boundaries there. Also this wasn't the first case within a short period of time where white cops killed unarmed black people and got away with a slap on the wrist. So this is a sensitive issue for black people (and also for white people who are sensitive to such issues). To call them "fools" for it is very inappropriate.

 

[Snow White luvs Peter Pan]

Even if there are two sides of the story, t's not the first time police get away with murder. Have you ever heard of Rodney King and how he was brutally beaten by the police? Even though they were as guilty as sin, they weren't charged for their crime. The district attorney's office, the government and senate in many cases are colluded to protect corrupt cops as it happens in many countries around the world and add racism in USA's case.

 

[HIStory]

What Needs to Happen After Eric Garner


Mike Muse Posted December 4, 2014

What seemed to be a familiar phrase, “No indictment for officer (fill in the blank),” no longer has a familiar response in the streets across America. What seemed to be the standard defense, “Officer feared for his life," no longer rings true when there were four other officers with him. What seemed to be the standard line of “eyewitnesses were not credible," no longer rings true when the video shows, what the medical examiner ruled a homicide. What seemed to be a uniformed response of, “following standard operating procedure of a choke hold”, no longer holds true, as it’s now an illegal police tactic. When you believe all the excuses will be refuted upon pressing play. When you think this time will be different. When you believe a different zip code will transcend justice. When you head north like your ancestors did during the great Northern Migration to seek a better life, a better rendering of justice. Then that sobering moment settles in, after hearing the three words “This Just In,” you come to the realization that Mike Brown and Eric Garner are one in the same. That injustice has no bias. As the song by Michael Jackson says, its Black or White
[Michael Jackson-Black or White]
They Print My Message
In The Saturday Sun
I Had To Tell Them
I Ain't Second To None
And I Told About Equality
And It's True
Either You're Wrong
Or You're Right
The burden of proof in determining wrong or right, guilty or innocent doesn’t fall upon the grand jury. Their responsibility during the preceding is to determine only if there is enough evidence for a trial to determine guilt or innocence. The burden of proof should not have been difficult to overcome; when the video is clear of a human being stating 11 times, that they could not breathe. Therefore, what does it take to get an indictment when the evidence is black and white? What happens now when the demands of protesters and a community were met, to see police officers wear body cameras, by way of a proposed investment package by a sitting president? This case demonstrates that video alone is not enough to overcome the burden of proof, but more so the perception of two justice systems in existence if you are black or white.
[Michael- Black or White]
Don't Tell Me You Agree With Me
When I Saw You Kicking Dirt In My Eye
But, If
You're Thinkin' About My Baby
It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White
The frustration, managed expectations of no indictment, being numb to the process, feeling defeated about the solution of having camera’s on officers, in no way gives us permission to stop; to stop the conversation, to stop the action. We must dig deeper to find more solutions. Solution (1): Killing by a police officer, black or white, should bypass a grand jury for a preliminary hearing in an open court. Solution (2): As local district attorneys have to work in partnership with police officers for cases, there should be a provision regarding police shootings, where a special attorney is appointed outside of the local district attorney for trial consideration. What’s your solution?

Solution (1): Killing by a police officer, black or white, should bypass a grand jury for a preliminary hearing in an open court.

​

I Said If
You're Thinkin' Of
Being My Brother
It Don't Matter If You're
Black Or White
Issue at hand: Black America has to have an open and honest conversation about our blackness and our experience of being black. Our blackness conversation must be raw and unedited. Society needs to hear our expression in vivid terms the way it’s discussed when we gather. That's the only way society will begin to understand the root of our frustration.
At the same time, White America must move beyond improbable notion of having a child (loved one) killed at the hands of the police. There has to be movement beyond the notion of, "well they must have did something wrong to deserve it" and examine if any outside factors were at play
It's at this intersection of Black America and White America that we will be able to advance the conversation. Advance the conversation to be solution oriented as there will be an understanding. A reconciliation of trust in the community for fair treatment under the law, and a police officer’s right to come home.
Follow @mikemuse to further the conversation on Twitter.

http://www.vibe.com/article/eric-ga...=sc-tw&utm_medium=ref&utm_campaign=EricGarner

 

[HIStory]

Tre Davis @MutchClaster · 11h 11 hours ago
Lyrics from ' They Don't Care About Us' Micheal Jackson it's crazy that this is exactly what there doing now

Joe Catron @jncatron · Dec 7
I can only quote @michaeljackson: "All I've got to say is that they don't really care about us." http://huff.to/1G2XF9H

Donna Hamilton @dhamiltonwbal · Dec 4 Protestors at #MonumentLighting in Mr Vernon. Morgan State choir singing beautiful MJ song about a better day.

#DOWHATCHUWANNA @officialdixon · Dec 5
The #KingOfPop was right. #TheyDontCareAboutUs! This shit going on right now ain't right!… http://instagram.com/p/wPc6rcNdt-/


Njabulo @njabuloc · Dec 3
Now mj's lyrics will make sense if u didnt get em before.... #TheyDontCareAboutUs


Marcus Silva @marcusRSilva · Dec 5
Today is an MJ Scream day. "You're kicking me down. I've got to get up. As jacked as it sounds, the whole system sucks". #ICantBreathe


Nena @_imforgiven · Dec 3
Never understood Michael Jackson's song "They don't really care about us" until now. #shame… http://instagram.com/p/wKV820FpwM/

Kathleen Caulderwood @KCaulderwood · Dec 3
#EricGarner protesters lie down in front of police in #Nyc singing "they don't really care about us," by MJ

Lil Dred @therealLilDred · Dec 4 The news been crazy, A lot of people getting killed by cops. But Michael Jackson said it best "They Don't Really Care About us"


Davon A @davon_a · Dec 5
"They don't really care about us!" MJ said it... #BlackLivesMatter #HandsUpDontShoot #MikeBrown #EricGarner

CTS Video Magazine @CTSVideoMag · Dec 5
#MJ Spirit join the protest they don't really care about us . #EricGarner #Mikebrown #Blacklivematters #BET

Elizabeth @StatenStories · 17h 17 hours ago Damn. #TheyDontCareAboutUs is a hashtag now


massidiot @fauxbeu · Dec 6
one of michael jackson's greatest, buried by the media https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNJL6nfu__Q# t=216 …


Jamal Stewart-Cook @jawbone8 · Dec 5
"All I wanna say is that they don't really care about us" - Michael Jackson

Pez Dann @Pezdann · Dec 5 Michael was as always bang on the money and I challenge any of today's cookie cutter singers to have the balls to put out such a track!


Big Chawn @igotbeats4u2 · Dec 5
All I want to say is that they don't really care about us! Mike Jack said it awhile back.




DJ Fyuri the Poni @DJfyuriponi · Dec 5
Michael Jackson said it, people. They don't really care about us. #Ferguson #ICantBreathe #Fruitvale #TamirRice #JohnCrawford




Pez Dann @Pezdann · Dec 5
I think with everything going on in the world, in every country, it's time we elevated They Don't Care About Us!


LEFT @LeftSentThis · Nov 26
When Michael Jackson started to make songs like "They Don't Really Care About Us," that's when the machine really started to demonize him.


Angela Muhammad @acmuhammad70 · Nov 24
Michael sang it best: "All I really know is that they don't really care about us." #Ferguson #MichaelBrown


aaron. @Aaronhwk · Nov 24
Michael Jackson - They Don't Care About Us: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNJL6nfu__Q Not gonna lie,this song is clutch asf right now

 

[elusive moonwalker]

Part of me is smiling and part of me is where we u all 20 years ago. so now u realise mj was right. maybe if ppl has listened to him instead of lynching him or sat watching the "show" this world would be a better place.its a shame it takes these tragic events for some to start taking mj serious

 

[Paris78]

Joe Vogel retweetete
Elizabeth @StatenStories21 h.
@JoeVogel1 "@rockwitlili: Protestors dancing in the street in Berkeley #EricGarner https://vine.co/v/OrKw3EglVV5 via @vine #TheyDontCareAboutUs"

 

[Hess]

So many times I have felt like MJ could look into the future.

Also Will You Be There the "In Our Darkest Hour, In My Deepest Despair, Will You Still Care? Will You Be There? In My Trials, And My Tribulations, Through Our Doubts And Frustrations

​

"-part - it's so crazy he wrote that such short time before he had to go through all that crap.

And TDCAU (even though it seems to be forever current sadly..) he nails it. It's bullseye. Lyrics are so strong.

These songs should be played to these demonstartions. - Also Scream !!!

 

[8701girl]

it shows how much infuence mj had and still has on this generation and the next generation.I think they dont care bout us is a apporiate song for this situation

 

[Hess]

MJ saw the injustice and tried to make people care... - sadly no one cared 20 years ago - and look where we are now.

MJ really put focus on some very very important issues. But sadly people spent more time debating if MJ got a nose job, sang som antisimetic lyrics, chaged his colour or other ridiculous stuff...

But even though it comes 20 years late it is great to see that people now realize the strengh, power, meaning and message of the song and uses it in a great way.

 

[LindavG]

So many times I have felt like MJ could look into the future.

Also Will You Be There the "In Our Darkest Hour, In My Deepest Despair, Will You Still Care? Will You Be There? In My Trials, And My Tribulations, Through Our Doubts And Frustrations"-part - it's so crazy he wrote that such short time before he had to go through all that crap.

And TDCAU (even though it seems to be forever current sadly..) he nails it. It's bullseye. Lyrics are so strong.

These songs should be played to these demonstartions. - Also Scream !!!

To me We've Had Enough is the most appropriate of all.

Love was taken from a young life
And no one told her why
Her direction has a dim light
From one more violent crime

She innocently questioned why
Why her father had to die
She asked the men in blue
How is it that you get to choose
Who will live and who will die
Did God say that you could decide?
You saw he didn't run
And that my daddy had no gun

We're innocently standing by
Watching people lose their lives
It seems as if we have no voice
It's time for us to make a choice

Only God could decide
Who will live and who will die
There's nothing that can't be done
If we raise our voice as one

They've gotta hear it from me
They've gotta hear it from you
They've gotta hear it from us
We can't take it
We've already had enough​

 

[marialovesmjj]

^ it is fitting song as well. Although as others have mentioned it's not as well known. That and I think that They Don't Really Care About Us conveys much of the hurt as well as the anger felt by many but who knows it might catch on.

 

[Hess]

I agree We've Had enough is fitting too. - But that is more about war than general injustice IMO.

I really hope BTW that WHE will be released on the next all new MJ album. (The way you love me was on Michael - so WHE could be on the next!)
It is one of MJ's best songs. - I really do not understand why he just randomly trow the song on TUC. - It needs a proper release - could be a great single too!

But back on topic. - Scream and TDCAU are much more angry songs and are more about injustice. More fitting in this situation. - Had it been an anti war demonstration WHE would be perfect !!

 

[Tygger]

So many times I have felt like MJ could look into the future.

In the prison version of TDCAU, you can see the inspiration for the song.

Those injustices happened before Michael was born, they continued as he lived, and they continue still after his passing.

I agree We've Had enough is fitting too. - But that is more about war than general injustice IMO.

LindavG posted the first verse above. That verse is not about war. It is just not as popular as TDCAU so it would not serve the protesters' purposes appropriately.

I believe Michael would be honored to see his TDCAU used in this manner.

 

[Hess]

In the prison version of TDCAU, you can see the inspiration for the song.

Those injustices happened before Michael was born, they continued as he lived, and they continue still after his passing.

LindavG posted the first verse above. That verse is not about war. It is just not as popular as TDCAU so it would not serve the protesters' purposes appropriately.

I believe Michael would be honored to see his TDCAU used in this manner.

True one verse of the song could be about a random lose, but the song as a whole is about war. - You can not just take one verse out of contecst... Then you can change the meaning of many songs...

And yes - I think MJ would love his song to be used like this. - This is what it was meant for exactly !!

 

[Tygger]

True one verse of the song could be about a random lose, but the song as a whole is about war. - You can not just take one verse out of contecst... Then you can change the meaning of many songs...

Hess, I do not believe I am taking the verse out of context. For me, We've Had Enough is about injustice very much like TDCAU. The first verse of WHE is one example of injustice in Michael's view; the second is another form.

 

[LindavG]

True one verse of the song could be about a random lose, but the song as a whole is about war. - You can not just take one verse out of contecst... Then you can change the meaning of many songs...

And yes - I think MJ would love his song to be used like this. - This is what it was meant for exactly !!

The first verse is not about a random loss, it's about the death of an unarmed man at the hands of the police. That's what "the men in blue" refers to. Only the second verse is about war. The general meaning of the song is that the police/soldiers should not single-handedly get to decide what is "justice" by deciding over life and death. That's why I think it's very appropriate in this case. But perhaps TDCAU better suits the anger and frustration people are feeling right now.

 

[LindavG]

As for Scream, that song to me is more about Michael's frustrations with the media. The way they lie and misrepresent everything. I looked up the lyrics and did find this interesting piece that I never noticed before:

[News Man]
"A man has been brutally beaten to death by
Police after being wrongly identified as a
robbery suspect. The man was
an 18 year old black male..."

Is it any wonder the establishment could not stand him? He was shedding light on these issues when he should've been the one to distract people from them as a popular entertainer -_-

 

[LindavG]

In the prison version of TDCAU, you can see the inspiration for the song.

Those injustices happened before Michael was born, they continued as he lived, and they continue still after his passing.

I prefer the Prison version a million times over the Brazil version. It gets the message of the song across much better.

 

[Paris78]

Elizabeth @StatenStories · Dec 9th

Now they selling TDCAU T shirts w/ Angry Mike "@ClassicFLL: #TheyDontReallyCareAboutUs Tee They ARE IN HIGH DEMAND

 

[HIStory]

^ I like that T-shirt. Where are they selling it?

 

[Tony R]

^ Good find

TDCAU was obviously written as a protest song. Much more than WHE or anything else. Melodically the chanting, synocpated,chorus just fits.

Plus the part that was left out the single but used in the fantastic Dallas Austin mix (and the Immortal soundtrack) of the gospel refrain also works.

 

[HIStory]

Abother article:

Why so little celebrity support for #BlackLivesMatter ?


By D.B. Anderson

"Where are all the celebrities?"
That's a question many supporters of #BlackLivesMatter protests are asking. At this moment of great unrest, some are feeling a lack of leadership from those who have worldwide media platforms.
Many black actors and musicians have made public statements to express their sorrow and frustration over the Michael Brown and Eric Garner grand jury decisions. John Legend hired food trucks to feed protesters in New York. Hip-hop celebrity J. Cole joined the marchers. Philadelphia rapper Chill Moody wrote a song, "We're Worth More."


But there's a feeling that the super-famous haven't really stepped up to the plate. Pharrell's statement was less than satisfactory to some. Where is Oprah? Where is Tyler Perry? Where is Beyonce? These are the questions I've seen on my Twitter timeline these last few weeks.

I think something other than apathy is really at work here: fear and trepidation. Artists fear that taking a political stand may jeopardize their reputations and careers. Any political statement is going to have a backlash — and a price will be paid. Careers are dependent on the goodwill of corporations, from the record companies to the sponsors to the radio stations.

Questlove put it like this on his Instagram: "I urge and challenge musicians and artists alike to push themselves to be a voice of the times that we live in. I know that many see what happened to Dixie Chicks' #NatalieMaines @mainesmusic (she bravely expressed her opinion/dismay on the Bush administration declaring war & was unjustly targeted....while in hindsight being CORRECT) suddenly there was an onslaught of radio silence from artists across the board…"

The Dixie Chicks lost their corporate sponsor following that 2003 incident and saw their songs pulled off the air and sales of their music nosedive. Imagine then, what fate could befall artists who made political statements a centerpiece of their work?

Michael Jackson was never afraid to put himself out there for the truth as he saw it. We could always count on Jackson to be the global leader of the band, to give voice to everything we were feeling. His adult catalog is a trove of social activism. Starvation. AIDS. War. Gang violence. Race relations. The environment. It was Jackson who put on concerts for war-torn Sarajevo. It was Jackson who put together a group charity song and concert after 9/11. It was Jackson who used every ounce of his global celebrity to make a difference. He was there.

What happened to Jackson for his politics was so much worse than losing sales. For in speaking truth to power, Jackson made himself a target, and he took a pounding. The worst shots at him were taken by a white district attorney in California who pursued him relentlessly for 12 years and charged him with heinous crimes that were utterly disproved at trial.

No one ever seems to connect the dots: A very vocal, very influential, very wealthy black man was taken down by a white prosecutor on trumped-up charges.

Indeed, for Jackson the silence was deafening. He lost sponsors and faced financial problems of exactly the type that Questlove refers to. Skepticism about his vitiligo (later verified by autopsy) and accusations of skin-bleaching had already cost him some supporters. His fellow artists bailed, his protests against the machinations of his record label were roundly mocked in the press. "Most of us had turned our backs on him," Madonna said after his death.

In 1996, Jackson enlisted Spike Lee to create the short film for his song, "They Don't Care About Us." You may have never seen it however, because it was banned from American television. And radio stations in the U.S. were reluctant to play the track because Jackson was accused of using "racist" language in it.

The song was, in large part, a response to the failure to convict police officers of the videotaped 1992 Rodney King beating, but also to his own terribly degrading experience of police brutality in 1993. To re-read the criticism of the song today is to shake your head in disbelief at its disingenuousness. It's obvious that for some in power at the time, this was a dangerous song, and the objections merely an attempt to deflect.

What we need, said Questlove the other day, are "songs with spirit in them. Songs with solutions. Songs with questions. Protest songs don't have to be boring or non-danceable….they just have to speak truth."
On Twitter, #TheyDontCareAboutUs is a hashtag. In Ferguson, they blasted the Michael Jackson song through car windows. In New York City and Berkeley last weekend, it was sung and performed by protesters. And In Baltimore, there was a magical moment when the Morgan State University choir answered protests with a rendition of Jackson's "Heal The World."

The price has already been paid, but the check was never cashed. Maybe we just need to finally listen to Michael Jackson.
D.B. Anderson is writer and content strategist based in the Washington DC metro area. His email is dbanderson.writes@gm ail.com.

 

[Tony R]

^ Brilliant. Thanks a million. All true artists are appreciated long after death. I'm glad Michael was appreciated during his life also, even if his later work was not by some, it is now.

TDCAU was such a risk, I've said it before, like a lot of the stunning HIStory album. Plus it didn't take a team of songwriters and producers and musicians. Just one man.

 

[barbee0715]

I hope this article by DB Anderson hits all the national websites and newspapers. VERY WELL WRITTEN.

 

[HIStory]

I was recently thinking about it while watching the remake of Do They Know It's Christmas: how come that they remake all these 80s charity songs and do not write their own ones? Don't get me wrong I am glad that We Are The World got love when it was remade for Haiti, but it's true that this generation simply lacks socially conscious songs which is very sad. All popular music is about these days shaking your booty, stripping and twerking and ego trips. Even hip hop is only about women with loose morals, money and parties. No socially conscious popular music any more. No socially conscious artists (at least no popular ones). Of course, at the same time I'm happy TDCAU and other MJ songs are being used at these protests. That's not the problem. I'm proud of it. Just that current artists should be more socially conscious instead of the silly little meaningless songs on the charts these days.

Also it's so shallow that people always questioned MJ's loyality to his race just because of surface stuff like his skin and looks, when he never distanced himself from the black community, in fact he wrote these songs like TDCAU. Meanwhile today you have artists like Pharrell making some questionable comments about black people, kind of distancing himself from the realities of the racism they face etc - he called it being "new black" which was found offensive by a lot of black people. There are a lot of other "new blacks" like him among artitsts. MJ was never one of those. He never made such comments about his own race. He was always very sensitive to the reality of racism, the struggle black people face etc.

 

[barbee0715]

Michael is my age and the civil rights fight was going on viciously when we were kids. Also my parents are his parents age, same age as Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones, Martin Luther King (if he had lived) etc and that generation that influenced us so, were the ones in the fight.

I honestly didn't understand exactly what the civil right fight was truly about-until I started working with people who (not condescendingly) educated me.(and this was around 81-85) It wasn't about slavery anymore-it was the Jim Crow laws that came about and that was what the civil rights and affirmative action, etc. were all about. I had THOUGHT we were separate but equal. I was so stupid. We were separate and still horrendously unequal and I was blissfully unaware. I grew up with "Black is beautiful" and J5 and racists being mocked in "all in the Family, etc." But Racism was rampant all around me and I wasn't even aware of it.
Imagine how that was for Michael and black kids our age.

And what's worse-it's still prevalent, and in some ways, I think worse than ever. We imagine that we live in a "post racial" world because we elected Obama, but all that did was make racism rear its ugly head. People like Pharrell, or even the whole plot of "Blackish" is about people who don't think race is a big deal, but sadly it is.
Sometimes I think the government, media, artists, play that "post racial" stuff up, so we don't notice what is really going on in America. All this pop culture stuff that is played up-so we don't notice how bad things truly are.

 

[Tygger]

In 1996, Jackson enlisted Spike Lee to create the short film for his song, "They Don't Care About Us." You may have never seen it however, because it was banned from American television. And radio stations in the U.S. were reluctant to play the track because Jackson was accused of using "racist" language in it.

Not true. Michael changed the one word vocal members of a particular group was offended by. The edited version of the song was played on radio, in the short film, and it is the version heard on most cds as well. The short film was not banned. The Brazilian version was played in favor of the prison version.

The song was, in large part, a response to the failure to convict police officers of the videotaped 1992 Rodney King beating, but also to his own terribly degrading experience of police brutality in 1993.

Not only King’s experience. A number of injustices are viewed in the prison version. King’s injustice was the most recent in the U.S. at the time HIStory was released and clips were in the short film. That is why the song was considered to be particularly about that for some, not all. There were several injustices Michael was being vocal about in the song and many understood that at that time.

Questlove put it like this on his Instagram: "I urge and challenge musicians and artists alike to push themselves to be a voice of the times that we live in. I know that many see what happened to Dixie Chicks' #NatalieMaines @mainesmusic (she bravely expressed her opinion/dismay on the Bush administration declaring war & was unjustly targeted....while in hindsight being CORRECT) suddenly there was an onslaught of radio silence from artists across the board…"

The Dixie Chicks lost their corporate sponsor following that 2003 incident and saw their songs pulled off the air and sales of their music nosedive. Imagine then, what fate could befall artists who made political statements a centerpiece of their work?

I understand Questlove's viewpoint however; in my view, it is a bit dangerous when political views are involved. It is dangerous in my view to compare Michael to other African-American musicians/entertainers and their choice to express their political views.

As Barbee0715 stated, Michael is from a different generation. His generation struggled so that the following generation would not have to suffer the same injustice. Therefore the experiences of those in Michael’s generation and the generation after (including Pharrell Williams) are different so the reactions and emotions are different. It was the same for the generation before Michael paving the way for his generation.

There are those who felt Michael was not political enough and there are those who felt he was too political. I will say Michael was his own man and was not beholden to his record label while expressing his artistry. Many pop and HipHop musicians today align with what is profitable as dictated by their record label. I may not agree with it however; I cannot judge it as it is a personal decision of the artist/individual.