Sensei Says | Bruce Lee 30 for 30 ESPN documentary set to tackle racism against Hong Kong superstar for being Chinese
- Be Water, which will be broadcast on Sunday, looks to explore the racial discrimination Bruce Lee suffered throughout his career
- As riots continue across the US after the death of George Floyd, we again find ourselves forced to reckon with the hard truths of modern society
As cities across the US burn through the night, engulfed in protests that devolve into riots and looting, we invariably find ourselves back at square one when it comes to modern culture: we collectively preach inclusivity, tolerance and acceptance for all walks of life, be it race, sex, religion or sexual orientation.
But the reality in 2020 is different. We are still a world divided by colour, marred by religious intolerance and unable to accept those who are different than us.
The death of African-American George Floyd, an unarmed man suspected of using a counterfeit bill who had the life choked out of him by a white police officer, has brought racial tensions back to the surface.
It’s no surprise then that the second trailer for ESPN’s 30 for 30 on Bruce Lee, titled Be Water, which will be released this Sunday, showcases his struggles as a Chinese-American actor and the racism he encountered throughout his career.
The most telling one, and one that also exhibits our progress as a society, revolves around Lee’s original treatment for a show called Warrior. Lee had the idea decades ago, a period drama and action show about a martial arts fighter set in America’s Old West.
