Social media blew up this weekend when rapper, actor, writer, Childish Gambino dropped visual for "This Is America" video. The video received mixed reactions from those who watched it. Some people felt it was offensive while others agreed that it's a representation of where we are in America today. After I watched the video for the first time I stopped to meditate on how it made me feel. I watched it again and wrote down what thoughts came to mind.
One way to describe what I felt is a variation of a well known phrase that art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. The beauty in art is that it can be both beautiful and painful. After you watch the video use your words to reflect your thoughts. Was it mesmerizing? Disturbing? Beautiful? Painful? Now ask yourself, does a piece of honesty live in every piece of art.