or a piece of MLK hate mail?

- The answer will surprise and disappoint you.

(upbeat music)

- Hey friends, I'm here in New York City

with my friend Mike Brown. - [Mike] Hey.

- And people are super upset about

Beyonce's new Formation music video

because it talks about police violence,

and the comments on the video are oddly reminiscent

of some of the hate mail that MLK got in the 60s,

so we're gonna hit the streets,

and see if people can tell us whether these comments

were left on Beyonce's video

or were actual MLK hate mail.

Let's find out.

"It's been more than 50 years that black people are free,

"and you still talk about racism."

- [Mike] Ooh, I know, it's tough.

- I feel like it can go both ways.

- I think that's hate mail. - [Lady in Middle] Beyonce.

- [Man] Beyonce.

- It was Beyonce. - [Mike] It was Beyonce.

- "Don't point out any of the faults at all

"of your own people, just the whites."

- I'm gonna say Beyonce comment.

- I'm gonna say MLK.

- I think I'm gonna go with Beyonce comment.

- I'll go Beyonce.

- MLK. - [Mike] MLK.

- MLK.

- "Meanwhile, black people are murdering each other

"in record numbers."

MLK hate mail-- - [Mike] Or Beyonce comment?

- Oh, that is so tough.

- These are tough guys, these are tough.

She's like, "It's so relevant in both cases.

"What do I do?"

- [Man] Beyonce video. - Yes, it was Beyonce.

"What about the violence by the blacks?"

You think that's Beyonce? - [Lady with Glasses] Yeah.

- Beyonce comment.

- Beyonce.

- That was actually MLK hate mail.

"None of you deserve a country like America."

- Oh.

- I think that's Beyonce.

- I'm feeling their spirits.

- Who isn't, okay.

- And they're telling me, I'm gonna go with Beyonce.

- It was MLK.

"The black community is going to have to find

"a better spokesman for their plight."

- Beyonce.

Who could have been better than MLK?

- Damn, she's good.

- She might be part of the beehive, we don't know.

- She is part of the beehive.

- What's a beehive? (Franchesca laughs)

"Just think of all the families you could have

"helped with that money."

- Hmm, tough question.

- It could be either or.

- Beyonce, yeah. Beyonce. (laughs)

- It was MLK.

"The more people draw attention to racism

"and unfairness, the harder it becomes to kill."

- Very interesting way of dealing with racism.

- Yeah, just ignore it.

- Beyonce comment.

- You're face was like, "What a second."

- (laughs) It just sounds crazy, what they said.

- Did any of these comments surprise you?

- Unfortunately not.

- I consider myself to be an optimist, but no.

- Not really.

- I hate to say, no.

- It just lets me know that people

aren't evolving like they should, but they need to.

- The issue is, is a lot of people are making it about them,

and not about what's going on.

- I think that some people have (indistinct speech)

within them that by people speaking up

about injustice they're moaning and they're complaining,

but you ought to switch yourself

and put yourself on that side of the fence,

and then think about what happened.

- That's true.

- You get ridiculed no matter what you do.

How we suppose to grow?

How we suppose to make this change?

- We think we've made progress,

but not where it really counts.

It's how we think as much as what we do.

- We're all, overall, looking for a quality of life

and a pursuit of happiness, and everybody

should be entitled to that,

and everybody should have a fair chance

and a shot at that, and if that's

a wrong thing, I don't want to be right

(laughing)

- So, did any of these comments surprise you?

What do you think about pop stars

using their music to talk about political issues?

- Let us know in the comments.

- And we will see you next week,

right here on Decoded, bye.

- Ooh, this is that good ol' vintage trolling from 1965.

I don't know if this is a hate mail

or just an inaccurate fact.

It wasn't Martin Luther (indistinct speech).

He didn't want no money.

He just want some equality, some rights.

How much are rights nowadays?

(upbeat music)