Let's rewind to the 1970s. The Black Power movement was on the rise, influencing Black youth to take on a no-nonsense mentality against racist systems. The rise of this fighting form gave them more strength and hope than ever.
Kung Fu films were becoming popular, and Black audiences flocked to them. On-screen heroes like Bruce Lee were calm yet strong and willing to go up against oppressive systems with just the power of their fists. Black people were fighting every day against the same oppressive enemies, and our films began to reflect that shared fight.
Blaxploitation films began to lean into Black power, and heroes adopted Kung Fu as their weapon of choice. With each karate chop and flying butterfly kick, white supremacy fell right on its neck, inspiring a generation in love with Kung Fu.
That young 70's generation took Kung Fu further, bleeding it into other art forms of Black resistance like hip-hop. The art of breakdancing, DJ battles, heck, the entire Wu-Tang Clan wouldn't have been possible without the cross-cultural power of Kung Fu.
We can find inspiration and strength in anything and put our own stamp on it. Kung Fu was a means of drawing strength against white supremacy for us. What can we draw strength from in our fight for liberation today?