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You can't really tell from the lyrics alone, but in the video this last part of the chorus is sang by inmates and a group of Black women waiting outside a fence (assumedly the prison fence). I think that the visual used in the video as well as the use of repetition create a very powerful effect for viewers.

Michael Jackson alludes to possibly the most influential figure of the Civil Rights Movement here in order to really drive his point home that he is protesting the government-facilitated practice of police brutality against Black Americans. I kind of disagree with the point he's trying to make here, though. Even though MLK had passed by the time this song was released, there were still organizations actively fighting against police brutality such as CopWatch and the ACLU.

Jackson calls out the government here for encroaching upon his rights to life and liberty. How is he supposed to live and be free when he lives under the constant threat of harm by a government-funded institution (the police force)? He argues that the government finds a way around this argument by simply ignoring the pleas of Black Americans across the nation. This point reminds me a lot of Flint, Michigan, where a predominantly Black community has been without clean water for YEARS just because the government decided it would save money by skipping the process of filtering water from the Flint River to remove lead and other contaminants.

I think Jackson's song is different from many protest songs about police brutality because although he sings in a frustrated and indignant tone, none of the lyrics themselves are violent. The only mentions of violence are when Jackson affirms that he and the Black community will persevere no matter what abuse they are subjected to.

Jackson argues that the government acts blind to the suffering of the Black community in America in order to rationalize discriminatory practices without needing to explicitly out them as racist

Trepidation: a feeling of fear over something that may occur in the future

Jackson brings up the constant feeling of fear towards an institution meant to make people feel safe (the police)

MJ aligns himself with police brutality victims, but in his case he is referring to the broader issue of discriminatory policing against Black people rather than physical violence

MJ actually caused a lot of controversy with his use of Jew and the word on the next line as equivalent to "discriminate against". Critics called him anti-Semitic, but MJ responded saying that he brought up Jewish people in order to sympathize with their struggle.

possible reference to the allegations presented against MJ himself during this time... he expresses frustration regarding his circumstances and like everybody is accusing him

Skin head: aggressively masculine youth subculture present during the 1960s dead head: Grateful Dead groupies, representative of hippies in the 1960s

Jackson aligns himself with his target audience ("us" vs "them" narrative)