Jazmine Ibarra
Dr. Sarah Thaller
Fire Cohort
2 November 2020
Protest/Social Justice Music Video Reflection
The first time I watched Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” was in the ninth grade and during
that time, a lot of protests were going on in regards to the school shooting. This school shooting occurred
in 2018 at Stoneman Douglas High School. This year I believe we did a walk-out for gun violence and
some people from other High Tech schools gave speeches. I brought this up because, in his music video,
there was a lot of gun violence. I took the gun being handed to him each time as a criticism to easy access
to guns. I interpreted the dead bodies being carried away as the dismissal of those people’s lives as well as
their families and friends being swept under the rug. The fact that the bodies were dragged and the guns
wrapped in red cloths with care was a very notable difference to me. It brings up the fact that guns are put
in more care than the lives of people in America. Lady Gaga’s “Til It Happens To You”, much like
Childish Gambino’s “This Is America”, relied heavily on the visual images and video. However, the
message was much more clear and straightforward. It was heavy to watch and I actually cried while
watching it. The music in the background, the black and white filter, and the writing on the skin that read
“I am worthless”, and, “sometimes I hate myself”, really portrayed the feelings and thoughts of those who
have faced sexual assault. Maybe not all of them, and I cannot speak for them, their pain or fear, and
anything else that they may be feeling, but I feel like the video did very well in showing and telling what
it might be like for them. The third video, “Where Is The Love” by The Black Eyed Peas is a song I am
familiar with from hearing it on the radio as a kid and sometimes today. It touches upon all the hate in this
world, “Where Is The Love”, and the lack of it. When a guy in the video was posting question mark on
various signs around the city, a police officer spotted him, chased after him, and wrestled to cuff him on
the hood of his car. Maybe it was hinting at police brutality and the treatment of colored people. They also
showed the faces of children of different backgrounds and I appreciated the diversity. The song brings up
a lot of problems in the world such as war, bombings, all types of discrimination, but most importantly
racial discrimination, and possibly inequality. “The Love” by The Black Peas and Jennifer Hudson, was
was another video in a black and white filter. It featured Joe Biden and parts of his speech which Jennifer
Hudson sang along to. I’m not sure if this means that The Black Eyed Peas and Jennifer Hudson support
Joe Biden, but I’m certain that they support the message that he was giving in his speech. “The Love”
features the chorus and some verses from The Black Eyed Peas song, “Where Is The Love”, which talked
about all the hate in this world, discrimination, war, and death in a catchy, but meaningful way. Their
music video for “The Love” featured a lot of clips from protests that have occurred this year as well as
notable moments that included those supporting Breonna Taylor, the Black Lives Matter movement, and i
more.
The song, “Respect” by Aretha Franklin serves as an anthem for equality, specifically for female
empowerment and the feminist movement. Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” comes from her album, “I Never
Loved a Man the Way I Love You” (Wikipedia) . I only learned this recently and I appreciate the song a
lot more because of it. It is positive, and in a way, it shows self-love and respect for one’s self. The song
itself was released in 1967 on April 29th and written by Otis Redding in 1965 (Wikipedia) . According to
Wikipedia, “Redding’s version of the song is a plea from a desperate man, who will give his woman
anything she wants” whereas, in the video, Aretha Franklin is smiling and dancing by herself, but she is
strong, confident, and capable of being on her own. “Franklin’s version adds the “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” chorus
and the backup singers’ refrain of “Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me…” (Wikipedia) .
Sources
Gambino, Childish. “Childish Gambino - This Is America (Official Video).” YouTube, YouTube, 5 May
2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY.
Insider. “Hidden Meanings Behind Childish Gambino's 'This Is America' Video Explained.”
YouTube, YouTube, 9 May 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_LIP7qguYw.
Gaga, Lady. “Lady Gaga - Til It Happens To You (Official Music Video).” YouTube, YouTube,
17 Sept. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmWBrN7QV6Y.
Black Eyed Peas. “The Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love? (Official Music Video).”
YouTube, YouTube, 16 June 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc.
blackeyedpeasvideo. “The Love - Black Eyed Peas and Jennifer Hudson.” YouTube, YouTube,
19 Oct. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk7LPpY8pXM.
CAguileraVEVO. “Christina Aguilera - Beautiful (Official Music Video).” YouTube, YouTube,
3 Oct. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAfyFTzZDMM.
2PacVEVO. “2Pac - Trapped.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 June 2018,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-VUV9VcRAQ.
Franklin, Aretha. “Aretha Franklin Respect 1967 HD YouTube.” YouTube, YouTube, 9 Jan.
2013, youtu.be/mGuW7pD_fhg.
“Ten Aretha Franklin Protest Songs.” The Ongoing History of Protest Music, 18 Aug. 2018,
www.ongoinghistoryofprotestsongs.com/2018/08/16/ten-aretha-franklin-protest-songs/.
Wikipedia. “Respect (Song).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Oct. 2020,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respect_(song).
