My 6 Cents: Thoughts on 'This Is America' I Haven't Seen Anywhere Else

This week, Childish Gambino/Donald Glover gave us a cultural touchstone, the music video “This is America”. It has been viewed over 65 million times (update: as of 05/14/18, the song has over 109 million views and just became the number one song in America!). It depicts violence, joy, riots, dance, apathy, and much more. I believe the video is part of a deleted scene from Black Panther - it’s what Killmonger showed W'kabi to convince him to help him liberate black people. I’ve been scouring the web, reading and watching the various layers and perspectives. (The link will take you to a Google search for 'This Is America reviews'). That said, there were some thoughts that I didn't see so I’ll add my voice to the chorus. Below are six more insights I haven’t seen anywhere else.

1. Completely indoors - Some have reported that Americans are the first indoor species. According to one author, we live 93% of our existence indoors. In urban environments, this is even more pronounced, as people only go outside to travel from one building to the next.

2. Absence of elderly people - Maybe they been forgotten, killed, because they cannot run, dance, or contribute to the building of the empire? There is no elder who can be a place of memory, perspective, or wisdom. This too, is America - ignoring our elders.

3. Emanuel 9 + 1 - The gospel choir has been compared to the nine Charleston AME murders. However, there is one extra person . This “+1” hearkens to the biblical story of the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace in Daniel 3. When they were thrown in Jesus was with them. In America, the Black Jesus/spirituality is being shot at too.

4. Production value - Everyone who contributed to this deserves celebration; the cinematography, shot selection, choreography, historians, producers, and everyone in between. The music is crazy. When the track plays James Brown as the last adlib, the video reaches peak blackness for me. I audibly shouted during rewatches as the “Say it Loud” singer screams “Get down!” before Childish Gambino tosses his joint and 'gets down' in the tradition of Brown, Jackie Wilson, and Michael Jackson. Euphoric and cathartic. The hair styling of SZA as lady liberty, the training of the horse to run across the shot, the combination of artificial and natural light; this video can be appreciated as complex and excellent art.

5. Blackness as uncapturable - Outside of hitting that joint, Childish Gambino and the camera never stop moving. Blackness is always elusive, always running from the grasp of white rule (sometime so much that it is exhausting). It cannot be captured and is always exceeding its descriptions. To control/police blackness is to attempt to shackle the wind. Thank you Mother Maya.

6. Hazard lights on the cars - At the end of the video, the cars all have their hazard lights turned on. This video is a warning. Of what? One common read is that it’s a warning to not get distracted. That said, I wonder how this video can become a distraction from the work of freedom? I fear that if we spend too long analyzing, rather than using it as fuel, we can be recreating the sensation-chasing dynamic it warns us against. That said...

I'm outta here. Thanks Childish Gambino and all for this masterpiece. The work continues...