Donald Glover Wants 'Atlanta' to "Show People How It Feels to Be Black"

Fresh off FX's gift of 6 new Atlanta teasers, Donald Glover had plenty to tell reporters at the Television Critics Association (TCA) summer press tour. Glover spoke candidly about the artistic intentions behind Atlanta, the importance of clean-cut endings, and his frustrations with the pace of society's progressions.

"The thesis with [Atlanta] was kind of to show people how it feels to be black," Glover told reporters at TCA Tuesday, according to the Hollywood Reporter. "What was important to me was that this show was personal and had a specific take because that's all you can really ask for from a show nowadays, having a specific point of view on something."

"I always want people to be scared because that's kind of how it feels to be black," Glover said of the show, which is "technically" billed as a comedy but explores darker themes through what director and executive producer Hiro Murai called "grey areas." Part of what made the show's unique tone and use of "grey areas" possible, Glover added, is the ubiquity of social media.

"I feel like we've seen the kind of Richard Pryor-Gene Wilder, black people do this, white people do this [project] and I'm like, why was that interesting the first place?" Glover said. "It's very easy for white people to know because there's Vine. The 'Nay Nay' dance came out and then your grandma's doing it two days later."

Atlanta is obviously nothing like the Community era of Glover's multi-hyphenated career, a distinction of which he's fully aware and quite proud. "I just like endings," Glover explained of his decision to exit the series before its final episodes, Deadlinereported. "I think everything should have death clauses in them like humans have death clauses. Like, one day, Trump is gonna die. That's guaranteed. That's awesome."

You know what else is guaranteed? Atlanta's Sept. 6 premiere date. Don't miss it.