The Danger of Writing People Who Look Like You

Taylor critiques this exploitation when used by those outside of the traumatized group, but what about those in it? Childish Gambino, real name Donald Glover, is a black American man. In a lot of ways, “This is America” is Gambino’s place. The same imagery and content of the lyrics would not have been as well received had the performer been white, or any other race besides black, let alone black and American. This would be Glover’s trauma to discuss, and yet it is called exploitative. Perhaps Glover’s attempts to call attention to the injustices faced by black people and the consumption of their bodies has failed, and instead served to cause that “grim nod and resignation” (90). Even further, as overexposure to violence leads to desensitization to the violence, perhaps “This is America” only had this effect. The questions then become: how can trauma be discussed effectively? Does trauma have a place in entertainment at all?