Black History Month Roundtable: Celebrating Black excellence in wrestling
How do you view Black history in wrestling? How do you come to grips with wrestling’s more problematic histories and prejudices against Black people (i.e. Booker losing at WM 19 after HHH’s “people like you” line, Hogan/Vince saying the N word, etc)?
Anthony: There’s been a lot of racially harmful things that I’ve been surprised to see get green-lit over the years. It just goes to show what happens when there aren’t Black people — especially with decision-making power — in the room.
David: I view black history as a mixed bag. It’s clear historically that pro wrestling likes to cast black wrestlers in a certain box. They either sing, dance, or are “athletic.” What tends to make me feel better about how black wrestlers have been cast historically is that I know how good some of these black wrestlers are. I’m also a firm believer that the creme rises to the top.
A talented star cannot go unnoticed forever. A lot of black wrestlers have had great careers. Although controversial, I personally do count The Rock. Booker T, MVP, Mark Henry, Junkyard Dog have all touched millions. Today we have more black stars than ever!
Chris: I view Black history in wrestling the same way that I view Black history in general: a lot of lip service and histrionics without learning any of the lessons from that history.
WWE provides the most prominent examples of this when they air a Martin Luther King Jr. video package every January (I wonder how MLK would’ve felt about Vince trying to force players to stand for the anthem in the XFL) and highlight the same handful of black wrestlers and sending their wrestlers of color to the same Civil Rights museum in Memphis every February (even if that museum didn’t have its share of baggage, wouldn’t more non-black wrestlers and the mostly-white folks in charge benefit more from this sort of field trip?), but that paltry pittance is more than what a lot of other promotions do to commemorate.
Worse yet, this cursory look at the past hasn’t resulted in many lessons being learned from that history, and not just in WWE.
When you have companies like Ring of Honor using the Kaepernick protests for heel heat when that was at its zenith, Impact putting their world title on a woman who allegedly called one of her contemporaries the N-word and spat on her, and the NWA giving Jim Cornette a space to lend racist metaphors to the broadcast, it’s clear that the feelings and concerns of black wrestlers and fans are secondary, at best.
Kyla: Black history in wrestling is acknowledged, but isn’t necessarily the focal point for the industry. The actual black history in wrestling isn’t as strong as it could be, which provides wrestling companies within the industry with the opportunity to create more (and potentially better) black history moments in their history books.
Although there are some fantastic black wrestlers who have engraved their names in wrestling history like The Rock, Tony Atlas, D-Von Dudley, Booker T, D.C. Jacqueline, and The Godfather to name a few, this list could still use some extensive work.
It’s a little easier to deal with and accept past instances of prejudice mostly because they occurred in a different time frame where the voice of black people were not as strong as it is today (which can be attributed to black individuals still transitioning into a world where they were being accepted as equals with other races) and also because it was a less sensitive time.
Sometimes coming to terms with the prejudice of black wrestlers in the industry can be difficult, especially when these issues are still occurring today.
Recent instances like the whole issue with the blackface merchandising for Jordan Myles shows the insensitivity that still exists within the industry toward black individuals today.
Phil: I view Black History Month as a chance to educate and highlight something both black and non-black fans might not know. African Americans have such a storied history in professional wrestling and it’s not talked about nearly enough, especially when it comes to the contributions of black women.
It’s tough to reconcile that with the industry’s more problematic history but that makes me want to prove we belong even more. There are many talented performers who have been here and their accolades matter too.
Raphael: I view black history in wrestling as a missed opportunity. History of marginalized groups as a whole. It’s a story that isn’t consistently told because those in leadership positions do not wish to tell the stories, they don’t know how or they aren’t interested in hiring the people with the worldview to do it.
To be honest, I don’t believe I’ve come to grips with some of those situations. I know it’s entertainment and I would have to cut off a lot of entertainment that I enjoy if I lived by those same parameters