Perhaps the most angry and political Michael Jackson song, in "They Don't Care About Us" he rails against police brutality and racism. Jackson, who wrote and produced the song, explained the meaning, as posted on his website: "The song is in fact about the pain of prejudice and hate and is a way to draw attention to social and political problems. I am the voice of the accused and the attacked. I am the voice of everyone. I am the skinhead, I am the Jew, I am the Black Man, I am the White Man. I am not the one who was attacking. It is about the injustices to young people and how the system can wrongfully accuse them."

The song generated controversy for Jackson because of these lyrics, which some deemed anti-Semitic: Jew me, sue me Everybody do me Kick me, kike me Don't you black or white me Upset at the media scrutiny it generated, Jackson issued multiple apologies, insisting he wasn't trying to offend the Jewish community, and the offending phrases - "Jew me" and "kike me" were removed from future pressings. In the US, the controversy scared off a lot of radio stations, and without much airplay the song stalled at #30. In Europe it was more successful, reaching the Top 10 in most countries.

Two music videos were filmed, both directed by Spike Lee. One shows a handcuffed Jackson in prison, interspersed with real footage of police attacking African Americans and other human rights abuses. The second video shows Jackson dancing with his fans in Brazil. Jackson's presence in Rio de Janeiro's drug-run Dona Marta was the first step in the favela's transformation. "This process to make Dona Marta better started with Michael Jackson," Claudia Silva, press liaison for Rio's office of tourism told Rolling Stone. "There are no drug dealers anymore, and there's a massive social project. But all the attention started with Michael Jackson."