The Symbolism and Satire of "This is Ameria"

The music video of,"This is America", by Childish Gambino is packed with symbolism and satire as it deals with topics such as race, police brutality and gun violence within our nation.

The video begins with him dancing to the lyrics, "we just want to party", before he shoots a man playing a guitar with no remorse. Throughout the video, many extreme acts of violence targeting African Americans take place. This plays into our ongoing racial issues and injustices. Childish Gambino portrays "America" in his reckless manner and in his gun use throughout the video. His behavior represents the harsh reality of how violence affects communities and cultures within our nation. Later, an all-black choir is seen being gunned down by Gambino with an assault rifle. This scene portrays situational irony because the choir is initially seen dancing and singing an upbeat tune which creates a peaceful and powerful environment. But when Gambino brutally guns them down the peaceful environment is instantly destroyed.

After each of these scenes, Childish Gambino is seen walking away singing the lyrics, "This is America". His relaxed manner throughout the video exposes how America normalizes gun violence.