The Making of Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’

The Making of Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’

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On Saturday night, actor and musician Donald Glover, working under his musician’s alter ego Childish Gambino, released a music video for his song, “This Is America.” The video quickly became a viral sensation on social media, and as of Tuesday morning the video had garnered 30 million views on YouTube. “This is America” presents itself as a jarring tableau of the American experience, specifically the black American experience. Abrupt, dissonant scenes transition freely from one to the next. Gambino guides us through them fluidly, wearing facial expressions that appear to caricature his performance. The Takeaway interviews one of the creators of Gambino’s viral sensation. Plus, we consider the overlooked faces of the working class; the resignation of New York’s A.G. Eric Schneiderman amid a sexual abuse scandal; and the series of federal judgeships that President Trump is making haste to fill.

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