Greetings.
February is Black History month in the United States and I’m pleased to note that sports and entertainment – which wrestling is at the forefront of, have played a significant role in the breaking down of the so-called color barriers, as well as paving the way for civil rights across America.
Many tend to take it for granted these days to see superlative black athletes and entertainers at the forefront of virtually every major sport or entertainment medium, including the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Stephen Curry, Cam Newton, Lebron James, Russell Wilson, A Rod, Giancarlo Stanton, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince and Will Smith.
Even traditionally “white” elitist sports, such as tennis, have proudly crowned black champions such as Arthur Ashe and Venus and Serena Williams, while Tiger Woods has been acclaimed by many as the greatest golfer of all time.
I’m pleased to note that blacks have had a long and distinguished history in professional wrestling and I’m proud to relate that my father’s Stampede Wrestling promotion, which began back in the late 1940’s, was one of the pioneers as far as showcasing and giving black wrestlers equal opportunities.
I can recall, as a kid, a myriad of superlative black superstars headlining our shows, including the likes of Luther Lindsey, Sweet Daddy Siki, Abdullah the Butcher, Sylvester Ritter (aka the Junkyard Dog), Carlos Colon and Lethal Larry Cameron – all of whom were not only great workers but good people, as well.
I hate to be constantly taking the powers that be in the WWE to task, but they seem to be lagging far behind other sports and entertainment mediums as far as being advocates for racial equality goes.
Not to be sardonic, but for years, the WWF, used to commonly be referred to within the business, as the White Wrestling Federation, because of the conspicuous absence of black superstars.
In the past couple of decades, there has been an increase in the number of black wrestlers, but sad to reflect, many of the blacks have been cast in decidedly unflattering and demeaning stereotypes, as pimps and low I Q so-called jungle bunnies, such as the Godfather, Slick, Kamala, Sapphire, the Boogeyman and Virgil – none of which would be tolerated in any other sport or entertainment medium.
To its discredit, the last time I checked, the WWE has never seen fit to put either of its two penultimate titles – the WWE World Heavyweight title or the Universal title on a black wrestler, with the closest candidate being the charismatic Dwayne Johnson, who’s only half black.
That’s an egregious, some might say outrageous oversight, especially when you consider that a huge part of their fan base, especially in major cities in the United States is comprised of blacks.
By that token and given the aforementioned advancements that have been made in America as far as the civil rights movement is concerned, I would like to hereby throw down the proverbial gauntlet again to the WWE to effect some significant changes in this regard.
To Vince, Hunter or whomever else, remember that the WWE stands for World Wrestling Entertainment and not White Wrestling Entertainment. By that token, get with the program, because, without question, it would be “what’s best for business.
As I pointed out before, I’ve addressed this issue in the past on a number of occasions, but to date haven’t seen much significant change, but hopefully persistence will pay off.
As Martin Luther King once ruefully proclaimed “I have a dream” and so do I. I implore my friends in the ivory Titan Tower to pick up the proverbial gauntlet which I’ve thrown down at their feet.
On that note, I’ll call this a wrap, but encourage you all to pay homage to Black History month and remember and honor all those who have sacrificed and dedicated themselves to the cause.
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