2020 has been a year of volatility, action and change. As the United States reckons with its past of hate and injustice people have taken to various forms of civil disobedience to make their voices heard. They march for the thousands of lives lost at the hands of police. They cancel and boycott brands who take their money while giving nothing to their community. They create an outlet for those who have no voice in the struggle for equality. Louie V Gutta’s Black Man in Amerikkka serves as a visual expression of anger, hurt and exhaustion with the stagnancy in this fight.
The North Philadelphia artist/writer/producer is no stranger to the sight of brutality like what befell George Floyd and the stories of victims such as Breonna Taylor. While clips from bystanders and voices from news reports circulate behind his lyrics Gutta gives contrast with a message of perseverance reminiscent of the Civil Rights Era. As the video plays he seamlessly blends familiar scenes of protests from the 60s with those of today proclaiming the frustration felt collectively that so little has changed. Across the screen reads affirmations such as ‘We will control our communities’ and ‘Don’t be afraid’ with encouraging lyrics to simply live life unapologetically.
