Twitter Goes In on Wyclef Jean for Claiming Martin Luther King Jr. 'Fought Because All Lives Matter'

Wyclef Jean said MLK "fought because all lives matter" while sharing a clip of his new song "Life Matters."

Rob Schneider wasn't alone in his perplexing Martin Luther King Jr. Day social media activity. Wyclef Jean, in a Twitter post Monday promoting his song "Life Matters," argued that the late civil rights activist "fought because all lives matter."

Oh please Wyclef 🙄

— TrevVanzant (@TheTTT333) January 16, 2017

The tweet, which has since been deleted, has been widely considered a misstep and a complete mischaracterization of King's work:

Wyclef MLK did not fight because all lives mattered , he fought because black lives dont in the eyes of Amerikkka

— Queen Soul (@justdevennn) January 16, 2017

@wyclef all lives do matter, but saying that before you recognize black lives matter makes you a sell out.

— Dee (@deebeezy31) January 16, 2017

Y'all gonna get Wyclef out the paint? pic.twitter.com/aZnetq8JZ9

— flour ranger (@JusDahl) January 16, 2017

Still chuckling at Wyclef putting Martin Luther King Jr & "All Lives Matter" in the same sentence.

— Zee (@ZeeTheBrat_) January 16, 2017

Somebody get Wyclef TF out of here.

— 😶‍🌫️ (@SirSeventh) January 16, 2017

it's odd that u would use footage from an action in support of the Movement 4 Black Lives for a tone deaf, ridiculous, ALM...thing

— Dadmonger (@Strug_Life) January 16, 2017

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

seven years since I put a body of work out to the world. It's like stripping down to my soul. ready for pre-order https://t.co/jsDeSTI0uz pic.twitter.com/3A7rZtqZZP

— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) January 13, 2017

If your brother,sister,best friend, or parent said #alllivesmatter and not #blacklivesmatter would you disown them or have a convo about it

— Nathan Allen Pirtle (@workwthecoach) January 16, 2017

Though the "all lives matter" tweet was swiftly deleted, the song itself is available in full on YouTube and other platforms:

A seemingly homemade visual for "Life Matters," initially shared last week and attached to the deleted tweet in question, also allegedly features footage from a protest in response to the police-involved death of Aiyana Mo'Nay Stanley-Jones.

That footage, according to @MissTayAmari and @DriNicole, was used without permission:

Following the outcry, Wyclef retweeted this poll:

Latest in Music