Wrestling Chairman's Use of N-Word Deserves a Smackdown

Darryl D. Smith

Maybe it was too early to think that racism was phasing out.

Maybe it was too early to think that whites would start respecting blacks by not calling that dreaded n-word. Maybe . . . I should have stopped following World Wrestling Entertainment.

I'll be the first to admit it: I love wrestling. I shed some tears when WWE star Eddie Guerrero was found dead on Nov. 13 at age 38. I love it when ''SmackDown'' champion Batista does his powerbomb on wrestlers. I even love it when Triple H does his trademark water spit.

Maybe I grew up following wrestling too much. WWE held its Survivor Series on pay-per-view on Nov. 27. During one of the backstage segments, white wrestler John Cena, who plays a rapper, was greeted by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon after a hilarious bit.

Photo credit: World Wrestling Entertainment Wrestling champ Booker T, shown during match, said, "Tell me he didn't just say that!"

However, the segment quickly turned ugly and racist when McMahon greeted Cena with a phrase popular among blacks. "What up, my nig--!" After that, black five-time wrestling champion Booker T and his wife, female valet and former wrestler Sharmell Sullivan, walked by. Booker T said, "Tell me he didn't just say that!"

That was all. I'm sorry. Was I not supposed to be offended? I am highly offended that McMahon would stoop so low to insult his black fan base. I am also insulted that Booker T would let a white man degrade his race with a derogatory remark.

I understand that the remark was aimed toward Cena. But our black ancestors fought for hundreds of years not to not be called that, only for McMahon to bring it up as if those years were wasted.

I'm also shocked that Booker T would participate in such a segment. I would have refused and maybe even quit the company. Booker T should be ashamed for allowing young black children to see that it's OK to let a white man say nig--.

Maybe I should have stopped watching wrestling a long time ago. Maybe I should have stopped watching the WWE. This distasteful display of racism should have garnered more media attention. But then again, it's the black guy. Who cares?

Darryl D. Smith, a student at Grambling State University, is sports editor, photographer and copy editor at the Gramblinite.

Articles in the Voices section are the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of Black College Wire.

Posted Dec. 6, 2005