10 Things You Didn't Know About Donald Glover
3. He Was Raised A Staunch Jehovah's Witness
There's a brilliant scene in NBC's Community during which Glover's character Troy Barnes performs a rap about being a Jehovah's Witness who plans on covertly celebrating Christmas in order to infiltrate Santa's inner circle and murder him. It's a hilarious moment, but Troy's status as Jehovah's witness actually has a basis in reality.
As a kid, Glover was raised Jehovah's Witness, a strict denomination of Christianity that believes that God's kingdom will soon be established on earth through Armageddon. This meant that Glover wasn't allowed to watch television, celebrate his birthday or enjoy a traditional Christmas, among other restrictions.
Whether Glover's creative outlet has been shaped by his religious upbringing is hard to say, but in his Gambino song "Won't Stop" from the mixtape Royalty he describes himself as an "airport atheist" who only prays "when there's turbulence".