A motif is a recurring symbol which takes on a figurative meaning. One that was particularly prominent throughout Beyoncé’s “Formation” music video was the element of oppression. The viewer can see from the very first scene that there is still effects on the state of Louisiana from Hurricane Katrina and that there is not the best relationship with law enforcement in modern times. In this video, there is a clear divide between African Americans and Caucasians. It is apparent throughout the music video that there is unrest throughout New Orleans. Beyoncé is a powerful woman who is trying to gather African Americans into formation to be strong against racism and other struggles because even she knows she cannot fix everything by herself. A unified group can be strong in working against social issues and natural disasters. The element of oppression is apparent in several scenes throughout the music video such as the struggle African American people have gone through from the days of slavery, the catastrophe of Katrina, and the ongoing battle against police brutality. 

The first time the element of oppression theme was apparent was when Beyoncé was standing with a group of men wearing all black (1:12). They are all dressed very professionally and Beyoncé’s face was covered by a large black hat. Black is a contrasting color that draws attention to the item that is most different among a number of design elements. In this scene their black clothing stands out, while they are standing in front of the white painted building. The audience is supposed to recognize that there is still a divide between African Americans and Caucasians. Oppression still exists and affects many people.  Black is a central color that African Americans use as an identity, and will utilize this color during protests and in other ways throughout the media to spread messages. 

Another way Beyoncé shows oppression in this scene is nodding her head to the beat of the music in a very fast motion. A clear gaze is when the viewer focuses on the area of Beyoncé’s head and face: the viewer’s attention is supposed to be going to Beyoncé’s head as it is violently nodding, which is disturbing because of how quickly her head is nodding. One of the most important issues of oppression is how much power police officers have over African Americans and how this power is abused during times of arrest. When African Americans are under arrest they basically have no choice, but to nod their head in agreement because if they do not they could be shot. Beyoncé’s nodding creates focus, which reflects the oppressive restrictions society puts on African Americans, to the point where their only options are to nod their head and say “yes”, or there could be potential deadly consequences. In this scene and in others, Beyoncé and people surrounding her are dressed in clothing that was worn around the time of slavery. This could mean that her nodding could also be a reference to the 17th and 18th century, where African Americans were ordered around by slave masters and forced to only reply with yes to their demands. This can make the viewer reflect on if times have really changed that much if African Americans still feel that their only choice is to nod their head in some situations. 

The next scene where the oppression theme was present was when the African American child with a black hoodie was dancing in front of police officers (3:45). He appears to be break dancing as the officers form a wall in front of him. The police officers look very intimidating: they wear riot gear and have their hands down by their sides. This position is very militant like, which is intimidating to see from a police officer. The soldier like actions from police officers evokes fear into the African American community as they deal with the police. In the next scene the male child raises his arms out, and the police officers respond by changing the position of their arms from their side to up in the air. (4:22) They all raised their hands in unison, mimicking the little boy in the black hoodie. Here, an over the shoulder camera view is utilized because the viewer can see the boy with his outstretched arms in the foreground and then in the background the viewer can see the police officers with theirs hands up. In the scene immediately after this the viewer can see a wall that’s spray painted “Stop Shooting Us” (4: 24). Here, a close up shot is used to emphasize the importance of the quote and to show that this is one of the main themes of the music video. By raising his hands, the young African American boy is communicating with the police officers by not speaking. He is communicating this spray-painted quote, pleading for the police force to stop shooting innocent black people. This is the quote that many African Americans have felt very passionate about and are upset about in today’s modern world. By showing several African Americans in defensive body positions against law enforcement in intimidating body position, this section of the music video recognizes the oppressive, disproportionate number of black people killed by police. 

The oppression and unrest motif is very significant because it is the central message Beyoncé is trying to convey throughout the video. The title of the music video is “Formation” and in several scenes she is in formation with several women or men. This is to show that when African-Americans come together in a formation, they can stand strong against police officers and racist individuals. Black Lives Matter is an international activist group, originating in the African-American community, that campaigns against violence and systematic racism toward African Americans. The Black Lives Matter group is a way for African Americans to come together, stand up against oppression, and work towards their goals of improving criminal justice and ending racism. An example of when a group of people looked strong and formidable was when Beyoncé was standing with a group of men, nodding her head. In this scene Beyoncé was nodding her head in a very rapid motion, displaying what is was like for an African American slave to only have the option to say yes to their slave masters. This also conveys a notion that in modern times, African Americans just have to say yes to everything a Caucasian individual in power or police officer orders them to do. This scene illustrates one of the major issues of oppression that occurs every day, and makes people wonder how much we have really improved in terms of racism since the times of slavery. African Americans are terrified of law enforcement because they are traumatized by events involving law enforcement abusing their power. In the scene where the African American child in dancing in front of the police, he is conveying a message to the officers without speaking. He is communicating that if he has his hands up, they shouldn’t be shooting him, nor should they be shooting any other innocent African Americans. This powerful “Hands up, don’t shoot!” message made famous by the Black Lives Matter movement is referencing Michael Brown’s death. He was an African-American male who was shot dead with his hands up. “Stop shooting us” is a message that is meant for the viewer to realize the amount of innocent African Americans that have been shot and abused by police officers, and how it needs to come to an end. Law enforcement taking advantage of their power to oppress African Americans is just one of the several forms of abuse that they struggle with each and every day. Oppressed African Americans just want justice for the misuse of power against them and want to be treated equal, just like any other American, and this video is meant to raise awareness for their cause. 