video premiere: gary clark jr. knows we “got to get up”

Because of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, we are more aware of what’s happening to our fellow humans all over the world than we have ever been in history. With this deluge of information about injustice and inequality can come desensitization or apathy. But it’s not enough to just sit there or stand still or just tweet through it while others suffer and struggle. For Gary Clark Jr. engaging with the times requires an important first step: we “Got To Get Up.”

In the new video for the single from his This Land album, released earlier this year, directors Manu Viqueira and Laprisamata use motion graphic and collages of iconic images to get across the point that positive change only comes from action and that tyranny wins when we are silent. The video uses vibrant color to represent the forces of progressive social change while black and white illustrate the threat of the forces of oppression. Clark’s “Got To Get Up” is a call to action for all of us who realize that inaction is not an option.