in This Is American Childish Gambino shows the effects of firearms and the violence in America. it also focuses on how the American audience intake media and focuses on how they are apart of Americas national debate. in the opening scene  we see Glover shooting a man dressed in all white before the music starts, as the music video continues we see a lot of destruction, however the destruction is masked when he dances with school kids showing how the American audience are easily distracted from the violence suggesting how black art is used to distract people from the real problems with America.

whilst Beyoncé released her music video during black history month (February 5th) it aligned with the racial themes. it was also released on Trayvon Martin's birthday, who was murdered, stirring up this generation and growing activism and fighting for equality, and the music video also brought further attention to Trayvon's murder. The music video was shot in New Orleans and focuses on events such as Hurricane Katrina, Mardi Gras, and the Black South, which served as a slave port, depicting the violence perpetrated against the African American community. The pictures in the video focus on black women, with proud women modelling their natural hair. There are verbal and visual depictions of the LGBTQ+ culture, as well as self-love for the African American community, alongside black women in positions of power and leadership.

Ethnicity is a major theme in Beyoncé's music video, as well as her political statement and representation. She has chosen to represent her own culture in a way that reflects this theme. She portrays radical self-love because of her history and identity. depicted in scenes of black women expressing pride and a lack of shame for their recognition of their race, alienating a broad demographic but specifically targeting a demographic linked to the African American community. The audience is placed in Beyoncé's shoes, seeing the hate she has faced. The portrayal of ethnicity in the production is seen as a celebration of her race, encouraging people with a similar backgrounds to accept and also be proud of their heritage. 'This is America,' on the other hand, focuses on more of the issues that the African American community faces in American society, such as racism and bigotry. For example, the music video's ending shows him fleeing from a group of frightened people, evoking the myth that black people have always had to flee for their life out of fear during slavery in the 19th century, connoting how black communities have always been victimized by American society.

Sex is a major theme in Formation, as women dominate the music video. Females in this output are portrayed as active and, as a result of their social status, somewhat victimized by society. bell hooks feminist theory is used here as it has a strong message about gender showing women as powerful and in charge this is unusual as it is usually the male who is in charge, she has made a political commitment to feminism.  Beyoncé is truthful in her portrayal of females gathering, the power women wield, and the process of becoming a self-assured woman. It's possible that these women's portrayals are a bit too sexualized, since women are usually depicted as items in advertising, such as the tight fitting and exposing sexualizing the females in this video and becoming somewhat objectified, or it may be female empowerment, as the lyric  "Okay Ladies now let's get in formation" reinforces this. However, in 'This is America,' the emphasis is not on gender, but rather on America's lack of seriousness about violence and gun control, as shown by the shootings that occur in the film, especially the church choir being shot dead, which is a specific reference to the Charleston shooting, in which a white supremacist killed 9 black people in a church basement. When Americans ingest more violence through a variety of sources, such as the internet, music videos, and television shows, it becomes more difficult to comprehend very real cases of mass murder.

in formation Paul Gilroy theory is used by subverting stereotypes the way this has been done is by putting a black woman in a position of power and dominion as Paul Gilroy's theory would have a white person in power as white people are who colonised. The music video questions racial hierarchy as it would have white people on top of the hierarchy but Beyoncé twists expectations by having a black woman having all the power, but it could also reinforce a sense of binary opposition between races by perpetuating Gilroy's sense of "otherness" and a strong racial divide.