Netflix is receiving lots of praise for its original series of Marvel’s Luke Cage – a bulletproof, Black superhero whose hoodie becomes emblematic to the Harlem community, played by Mike Colter.
And kicking ass right alongside Colter is leading lady, Simone Missick.
Throughout the series, there are themes reminiscent to current events and the issues afflicting the African-American community in the United States; such as racial profiling, bias in the justice system and a disconnect between the community and law enforcement.
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In a community of corrupt law officials, Missick’s character, Misty Knight, provides reference for good policing. The authenticity that Missick brings to Misty Knight comes from her personal experiences growing up in Detroit.
In an interview with the Daily Beast, Missick explains that it’s “difficult to tell a story about a Black person in America without getting political. Our very existence [in this country] is political.”
“You feel honored to be dealing with these things [through the show],” said Missick.
“But then there’s a part of you that hopes that when the show comes out that we’re not still dealing with the same issues. And unfortunately we are.”
Missick shared that Eric Garner was killed during the filming of the show and with the pervasiveness that police killings have occurred since, “it shows that unfortunately this problem is not going away. And there needs to be actual action done, not just all this national rhetoric.”