The current decade of the 2010s has given us many rising stars, many of whom are of color and breaking down the long-standing social and racial barriers of the entertainment industry. Old Hollywood is becoming obsolete. There are newer, fresher stories being told with fresher diverse stories to compliment those stories. That also means that more controversial content can be made and put into the public sphere, with less of a threat of censorship.

The content of which I speak of relates to the idea of political activism, not only against obvious dictatorial regimes but even societies who claim to be democratic. One outspoken artist on these topics has been Donald Glover, aka his musical alter-ego, Childish Gambino. I've personally been a fan of Glover since his role on the underrated sitcom, Community in which he played adorkable jock, Troy Barnes. I could go more into his evolution from playing that role, his stand-up comedy, music, and writing career but his body of work speaks for itself. Glover is a multi-talented creator of the arts.

His recent album has been said to be his last major project as Childish Gambino, however, I feel like the most recent film was the true sendoff. The piece, titled "Guava Island" was the perfect way to combine a tribute to his musical alter-ego and his thriving acting career. Plus, it told a very compelling, complex narrative that can also serve as social critique, in a very compact and satisfying way.

The film is only 56 minutes long, but it takes you on a journey through the world of Guava Island, a fictional island in which the weather and music may feel like the glory days of summer, but the truth is, that it since it was taken over by corrupt business tycoon, known as Red Cargo (Nonso Anozie), its heat is produced by the backs of overworked citizens, most who are lower class and with dreams of immigrating to America. Similar to most immigrant stories of our time and decades ago, these islanders picture America as the land of opportunity, stability, and equality but as the film's protagonist, Demi Maroon (Donald Glover) states, Guava island is America.

To me, this speaks truth.

Our society has an understated hierarchy interwoven into laws and policies enacted through legislative branches across the country. Historically, this hierarchy persists from laws that have prevented people of particular ethnic groups from engaging in civil liberties (voting for example), and even from living in certain communities of a particular economic bracket ( discriminatory housing practices i.e. redlining). In the case of Guava Island, the working class represents the mistreated groups in our America who have been denied basic freedoms and rights that the higher classes receive. It's an issue that not only affects race, but also class.

The way Glover touches on this, as well as a multitude of other topics, was strategic and yet another stroke of genius. I found myself captivated by its visuals, the grainy aesthetic of the film itself as well as the music of which I expected to be enjoyable since I am already a fan of Gambino's sound. Though, I found it ironic that the film's secondary protagonist and Glover's love interest Kofi Novia played by Rihanna, didn't sing at all. Thus, it really makes the film an homage to the musical genius that is Childish Gambino. He steals the show, sends a message and cements the sounds of summer we long for.