This Is America
As products of our societies it can sometimes be difficult to separate ourselves and our egos from the truth. No matter what country you live in, your government has made stupid laws, done terrible things, or assumed they were in the right. This can be especially difficult for citizens of the United States, where people living in the “melting pot” of the world can sometimes struggle with their cultural identities or pride.
As Americans we have a lot of pride in coming from wherever we came from, because no matter where it was it was difficult. I think a lot of other cultures perceive the United States in particular as being cultureless. Although the United States is unique with its culture and there are a unique set of problems that come with that, I do not think that they have a “lack of” culture. Culture is something that is built upon. People make their own cultural identities.
Unfortunately, with the cultures we are brought up in and create for ourselves come drawbacks. We are sometimes blinded by nostalgia or privilege. This is why it is so easy in the United States to ignore problems that only affect certain groups of people if the problem does not directly involve us.
“This Is America” by Childish Gambino is a great example of how millennials are forgetting about their ego and pride in hopes of getting people to stop ignoring big issues. As the song starts out, it is melodic and ambient. The lyrics say “we just want to party” for a while until suddenly there is a gunshot, tone change, and it says “this is America”. The popularity of the song is really representative of how huge of an issue gun violence and systemic racism are.
The compelling statement that gun violence and racism are being eaten up like candy in the entertainment industry is clear enough in the music, but Donald Glover didn’t stop there. He enhanced his message with a chilling video. With black girls in school uniforms, wide grins, and dance routines, part of the video and music is about staying sane in this mixed up world. But on the other hand, all around them are guns and terrorizing events. The main message of the song is that people either stay sane or go crazy. I think this is an incredibly brave statement to admit and bring attention to the fact that there are problems in America and they are disproportionately affecting black youth.