Why African-Americans identified with Bruce Lee and the underdog themes of Fist of Fury and many other Hong Kong martial arts films
- African-Americans loved kung fu films because their themes often reflected their own social and political oppression; some watched them to learn kung fu moves
- As well as appreciating the fighting style, their interest spawned ‘Blaxploitation’ crossover films that made stars of black martial arts actors like Jim Kelly
It’s well known that African-Americans spurred the popularity of Hong Kong martial arts films in the United States, as well as the actual practice of martial arts in the country. But what was it that attracted them to the city’s kung fu movies?
The answer is complex, and is tied in to the seismic social and political events that took place in America in the 1960s and 1970s.
Racism played a big part – African-Americans needed to be able to defend themselves from violent racist attacks, and thought that martial arts would give them an edge in street fights.
There was also a wider cultural element tied in to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Before the assassination of Martin Luther King, when racial equality in the US seemed to be a real possibility, martial arts skills were seen as an expression of African-American pride, and played into black people’s hope for a better future.
After King’s assassination in 1968, when the dream of racial equality died, martial arts became a manifestation of rebellion.