Luke Cage: The Fight Against Racial Injustice and Oppression

Comic book fans were enthralled to see another defender come to life in Netflix’s television interpretation of Marvel’s Luke Cage in Fall of 2016. After seeing Daredevil and Jessica Jones endure their stories in New York City, it became Luke Cage's turn. Set in Harlem, a prominently African-American section of New York City, African-American history and culture is embedded throughout the series. The show follows the story of Luke Cage, a bullet-proof African-American man, and his emergence as a protector and preserver of Harlem. Characters such as Mariah, a political activist in Harlem, and Luke Cage himself advocate for cultural preservation and stand as symbols against racial injustice.

For instance, Luke Cage being bulletproof in a literal sense is a personification of standing against unfair racial treatment, gang violence, and police brutality, three elements the show focuses on in its depiction of Harlem. He also wears the racially charged black hoodie similar to that of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African-American man who received  heavy media attention for being shot to death despite being unarmed in the early 2010s. These are just two aspects of Luke Cage's character that symbolize racial oppression and injustice. After gaining popularity among the people of Harlem, Cage was viewed as an icon of invincibility and hope for the people of Harlem. He becomes the pride of Harlem.

Men across Harlem wear the bullet riddled sweaters
like Luke Cage to show they can symbolize support for Cage

In one particular scene, Cage walks into a small liquor shop in Harlem to find that the cashier and customers are being held at gunpoint. One of the customers happens to be Clifford Smith AKA Method Man, a rapper that Cage admires. After Luke subdues the gunmen handily, Cage and Smith exchange words of appreciation. Because Cage's sweater is riddled with bullet holes, he trades sweaters with Method Man. The bullet holes in the sweater become an icon for an African-American being able to stand up to racial profiling.

Perhaps the most powerful scene in the entire show is when Method Man writes a rap tribute to Luke Cage. The scene shows Smith broadcast his tribute, "Bulletproof Love" to the radios of Harlem. Method Man raps the influence of Luke Cage and links him to some prominent names:

Look, dog, a hero, never had one

Already took Malcolm and Martin, this is the last one

I beg your pardon, somebody pulling a fast one

Now we got a hero for hire and he a black one

And the bullethole hoodies is the fashion

We in Harlem's Paradise, tell the Captain

Clifford Smith AKA Method Man singing "Bulletproof Love"

Smith compares Luke Cage to some of the most influential activists and icons ever in Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. He highlights just how big of an icon Cage really is by these comparisons. Smith then displays the support Cage receives from the people of Harlem by saying "and the bullethole hoodies is the fashion".

So maybe Luke Cage is an entertaining show. Most probably watch it just to be entertained. To some, "Luke Cage" is another comic book based television show, however there is much more beneath the surface. Cage's environment serves as a means to symbolize the fight against African-American oppression. His body creates a physical opposition to racial injustice. Luke Cage is a hero. Luke Cage is an icon.

Works Cited

Hale, Mike. “'Luke Cage' Puts Race at the Center of the Story.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 Sept. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/09/30/arts/television/review-marvels-luke-cage-a-hero-for-harlem.html.

O'Keeffe, Jack. “Method Man's 'Luke Cage' Rap Is Powerful.” Bustle, Bustle, 25 Apr. 2018, www.bustle.com/articles/187111-the-lyrics-to-method-mans-luke-cage-rap-bulletproof-love-bring-the-shows-subtext-to-the.