With the recent release of Black Panther it is almost hard to see a world where incredible black super heroes with all black casts don’t exist. The success of Black Panther comes with his popularity in the comics, but also the fact that movies get more attention than most media. But the creation of Black Panther as we know it might not have happened if it weren’t for a lesser known hero with a Netflix exclusive TV show. When he was first introduced in the Netflix series, Jessica Jones, fans of Luke Cage rejoiced for more than one reason. Firstly, Luke Cage is an amazing superhero and his appearance more than likely meant the creation of his own show and the forming of The Defenders. Secondly, however, we were finally going to see a stand alone black superhero. This was far before the idea of Black Panther had even been conceived. Luke Cage was the first to feature predominantly black cast in this genre of media. It’s because of the success of Luke Cage that a movie like Black Panther was even possible. The arrival of Luke Cage means so much more than just adding adding a piece to The Defenders puzzle. Luke Cage is a role model and a light for the black community as a whole. His superpowers go further that bulletproof-skin deep.
Luke Cage is a black man that lives in Harlem, New York City constantly working low paying jobs so that he doesn’t attract too much attention to his unusual gifts. Cage has been gifted with bulletproof skin and super strength. Though he has a passive personality he is more than willing to stand up for what is right. In an age where black men are getting gunned down by police, this super power speaks volumes to issues that black Americans deal with every day. Think about not fearing bullets anymore. An article talking about Luke Cage and its showrunner, Cheo Hedari Coker, touches on this social influence:
“Coker says he was inspired to serve as showrunner when he realized the ramifications of a series about a black man with impenetrable skin and how that might empower him to take on both criminals and crooked authority figures. “The main reason people don’t speak out, their main fear, is getting shot,” Coker says. “So what happens if someone is bulletproof? What happens if you take that fear away? That changes the whole ecosystem.”
This is a show that is more than just a man with superpowers. It is a show that has the ability to encourage and empower black people when they feel as if they have no voice. TV shows often reflect the culture that we live and I believe Luke Cage is the most underrated case. Luke is able to confront not only crooked authority figures, but also the black people that are poisoning his community with crime and feeding racial stereotypes. In the show Luke doesn’t just fight with his fists. He fights with his words. He fights the things that hold black people down whether it be a system or black people themselves. One topic that comes up is the N-word. While being held up by another black man across from a building named after a hero in the black community, Luke Cage takes offense to this man referring to him as the N-word. This monologue is an epic take that I believe is a perspective that a lot of black people have on the use of that word.
“The N-word is used repeatedly in the show, in passing, in songs, and at one point head on, when Luke tells a stick-up boy who has just used it: “I’m not tired enough to ever let nobody call me that word.””
As a whole this show addresses problems that are very real to black people in America and offers a kick-ass black man that can physically stand up to crime and corruption, but also offers ideological solutions. This show was something that America needed. We needed a predominantly black cast that would pave the way for larger media to follow. We needed a black character for young black kids to look up to. And we definitely needed a black character that stood up for the good of the black community whether those threats are internal or external.
Criticizing Culture 