A motif is a recurring symbol which takes on a figurative meaning. The viewer can see from the very first scene of Beyoncé’s music video, “Formation” 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. However, she realizes that a unified group can be strong in working against social issues and natural disasters. By using the element of oppression in several scenes throughout the music video such as the struggle American slavery, the catastrophe of Katrina, and the ongoing battle against police brutality, Beyoncé is using her mass influence to empower the African American community to fix the issues plaguing their community and preventing these things from reoccurring. 

The first time the element of oppression theme is apparent is when Beyoncé stands with a group of men wearing all black (1:12). They are all dressed very professionally and Beyoncé’s face is 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, the black clothing is distinguishing itself from the painted white building, in front of which they are standing. By the placement of the colors of black and white, the audience is supposed to recognize that there is still a major divide between African Americans and Caucasians. Oppression still exists and affects the African American community. Black is a central color that the African Americans community uses as an identity, and also utilize the color to protest and spread messages.  

Another way Beyoncé shows oppression in this same scene is in the nodding of her head to the beat of the music in a very fast motion. The viewer is given a clear focus 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. The effect of the nodding is disturbing because of how quickly her head is moving. This ties into one of the most important issues of oppression, in 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, except to nod their heads 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. Further, in this scene Beyoncé and the people surrounding her are all dressed in clothing that was worn around the time of slavery. This could mean that her nodding is also a reference to American slavery, when African Americans were ordered around by slave masters and forced to only reply with yes to their demands. With these complex considerations, the viewer must contemplate if times have really changed that much, if African Americans still feel that their only choice is to nod their head in response to authority. 

The next scene where the oppression theme is present is at 3:45, where an African American child with a black hoodie is dancing in front of police officers. The child appears to be breakdancing 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, evoking fear. 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 raise their hands in unison, mimicking the little boy in the black hoodie. An over-the -shoulder camera view is utilized so that the viewer can see the boy with his outstretched arms in the foreground and the police officer with their hands up in the air. The viewer also sees at 4: 24, a wall that’s spray-painted “Stop Shooting Us”. Here, the close-up shot emphasizes the importance of the quote against the young boy’s non-verbal communication with the police. The young African American boy is communicating this spray-painted quote, pleading for the police officers to stop shooting innocent black people.  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 a representative African American in a defensive body position against law enforcement, who are in intimidating body positions, this section of the music video recognizes the oppressive action of today’s police forces, which results in a disproportionate number of black people being killed by police officers. 

The oppression and unrest motif is very significant in Beyoncé’s music video, “Formation” because it is the central message she is trying to convey throughout the video. The title of the 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 is when Beyoncé was standing with a group of men, nodding her head. This scene, with its hints at slavery and the modern-day expectation of black individuals to respond “yes” to authority, illustrates one of the major issues of oppression that occurs every day, and making 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 of these officials abusing their power. In the scene where the African American child is communicating that if he has his hands up, the police should not shoot 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, references the death of Michael Brown, a young African-American male who was shot dead with his hands up. Because of this, “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 the abuse 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 these minorities struggle with each and every day. Beyoncé’s incorporation of oppression in her “Formation” video, both in the past and the present of African American history, raises a very strong awareness for the Black Lives Matter cause. 