YouTube is filled with wonderful talent. There are people who make you laugh, cry, and GOD knows what else. Some people are blessed with the talent to evoke all emotions. One of these people is the 23 year old Edward L. Melvin III; better known as Trè Melvin of ThisIsACommentary. Melvin has a very unique platform. His channel features a variety of different skits, often featuring the infamous Watermelondrea; an original character of Mr. Melvin's. The channel also features non-fiction content, such as Q&A's and subject based content.
Trè has over three million subscribers and three-hundred million views which he has gathered since October of 2011. He also has reached quite a large following on his other social media. Melvin is aware of his platform and uses it as an advantage to speak against what is wrong with the world, especially when it comes to homophobia and racism. He has released several videos about each subject.
Two years ago, Melvin told the world that he is bisexual. This is a huge decision most people have to make that affects their status in society. To someone in the spotlight, it is an even heavier decision. Fan bases are sensitive, and by coming out, Melvin risked it all. However, he recognized his opportunity to evoke change and used his platform to service the world. He influenced many of his subscribers to live in their truth.
Trè Melvin is constantly vocal about his thoughts on the #BlackLivesMatter movement and police brutality. Melvin believes that "silence equals consent" and that if people have the opportunity to speak against what is wrong and possibly influence change, they should not neglect to do so. Melvin bluntly states that black people are being killed for nothing other than the color of their skin by racist white officers (and civilians) who use their privilege as shields. He speaks on the how wrong it is for black lives to fear living in a society where "animal lives are treated with higher regard."
In a recent video, entitled "Dear white people who don't seem to recognize your privilege but seem to recognize mine" Melvin states that white skin has power and that a homeless white man or woman still has more racial privilege than a financially stable Black American. Melvin has previously received backlash for identifying with the black community and their plight because he lives in a nice home and drives an nice car. Surprisingly enough, most of the negativity is coming from the members of the white community who do not believe they have been afforded privilege. Trè Melvin was raised in Dayton Ohio as an average black male. He was not born into the fortune he has. Melvin has told stories of how he was arrested while searching for a home to purchase for his mother because he was driving a nice car and his blackness made it hard to believe that the car belonged to him. This proves just how much privilege he really has.
