#musical protest

Music is seen as a form of self-expression, but to what extent is someone else’s expression changing the self-expression into that of another? In the senior writer of Wired, Jason Parham’s article "Childish Gambino's 'This Is America' and the New Shape of Protest Music," he conveys the form of protest used by Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino, and its correlation to the widespread awareness of the injustices of African Americans in the past years.

Music is written with a purpose, whether as a form of self-expression, to bring awareness to an issue, or even just for the entertainment of others. Childish Gambino’s song “This Is America” does exactly all of those, but with the main emphasis on bringing awareness to the injustices put on by other races inhabiting the United States. Gambino touches on several problems within American society such as shootings and widespread chaos, however they are placed in the background as a way to direct focus to the main issue – African American injustice. As seen in the photo below, Childish Gambino is positioned in the same pose as that of the characterized version of the Jim Crow laws. By referring to such an impactful period in African American history, but doing so in a way that can be overlooked easily, he conveys the torment and oppression that was faced in the past, but is now continued in present society. Gambino clearly spreads this information and act of injustice in a way he knows best and through the utilization of music, he can convey his main point and increase awareness about this subject knowing that he has fans who are willing to hang onto every word written in his music.

Being a celebrity and having the leverage of status, can have such a powerful influence over their many fans, almost to the point where the news spreads rapidly nationwide and many are susceptible to agreeing with someone of such status. Usually, when a teenager looks up to someone they admire, their behaviors tend to mimic that of their role model. In this case, music is seen to influence the thinking of teenagers, as to introduce an idea, reinforce it through the repetition of music, and allow for the teenagers to assimilate their way of thinking. From my experience, music has always been a form of connection in that some artists can convey my feelings better than I can. Whether this is due to the idea that I’m conforming to the expectations of what a certain feeling feels like or that I’m adapting to the feelings another person is conveying. 

Overall, Parham’s article provides and inside look into the genre dubbed “protest music.” By citing the specific details that convey the issue of the song, Parham analyzes the aspects of the music video in such detail that you can recreate the image in your mind. In addition, his analysis gives the reader insight into the meaning of the Gambino’s actions. Without this article, I would have never found an example of how well messages are portrayed through music, and easily accepted in society due to status.

Childish Gambino, in his video “This Is America,” imitating the pose of the characterized Jim Crow laws.

Citations

Parham, Jason. "Childish Gambino's 'This Is America' and the New Shape of Protest Music." Wired, 9 May 2019. https://www.wired.com/story/donald-glover-this-is-america-protest-music/

Link to the Music Video