(see Ava Duverney's 13TH for more on this)ģ. Many have likened the prison industrial complex to a 'tool' used to transfer the idea of forced bondage into more a 'palatable' 21st-century construction of slavery. Throughout the video, Donald Glover has been inside a structure that looks similar to a prison cell (a celly).

The kids in the balcony are recording all the mayhem with cell phones (that's a celly) which has been a 'tool' to capture incidents of police violence and broadcast them.Ģ. 7) The three-fold symbolism of the lyrics: 'This a celly (ha)/That's a tool (yeah)'ġ. This imagery is believed to be referencing this tragedy. In 2017, Dylann Roof pleaded guilty to the shooting deaths of 9 black church-goers in a Charleston, North Carolina parish.

And he was given a crown, and rode out to conquer and defeat.' - Revelations 6:2Ħ) Donald Glover shooting the choir is a reference to the June 2015 Charleston church shooting. 'So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider had a bow. We know this is likely a reference to the four horsemen of the Apocolypse because of the colour of the horse which is mentioned as 'white' in the bible. Via RCA/Vevo 5) The horseman of the apocalypse

We see burning cars, bodies being dragged away, and symbolism of 'the end of the world' and yet our focus is forcibly dragged back to the distracting dance moves at the forefront. This can be taken as a critique of modern internet culture which often allows viral dance videos and other distractions to shift our focus from the important issues. Amid the chaos that takes place behind Donald Glover and the kids, the viewer's attention is always drawn to the forefront of the shot where the youngsters are performing the latest viral dance moves.

Childish gambino