Racism has no place in the World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. workplace
culture or public imagery. 

[ [link removed] ][IMG]

Demand the WWE be held accountable for discriminatory and hostile
workplace practices.

[ [link removed] ]Take Action

Dear John.

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE) must be held accountable for
using racist imagery while profiting from our image, likeness, and the
physical labor of Black wrestlers.^1 

Albert Hardie Jr. (aka Jordan Myles), a professional Black athlete and
employee of the WWE, had his name used to sell shirts with highly
offensive anti-Black “sambo” imagery. In addition, the WWE is blaming
Hardie for the release of this racist merchandise.^2 The WWE has been
getting away with creating a racist work environment, in which Confederate
flags are flown, racial slurs are the norm, and Black wrestlers are not
paid equally to white wrestlers and are not given the same opportunities
to compete for championships.^3,4,5

Wrestling is a guilty pleasure that blurs the lines of reality; however,
Black wrestlers are tired of their reality being an entertainment
storyline that denies blatant racism. Four WWE major events are planned to
take place in California this December. 

[ [link removed] ]Demand California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, investigate the
racist workplace practices of WWE.

Sambo imagery was created during slavery and unfairly depicts Black people
as being lazy and uneducated. It is a triggering reminder of the pain of
our struggle.^6 In the long line of WWE champions, there has been only one
of mixed race, The Rock, whose father, Rocky Johnson, was a Black
wrestler.^7 This fact alone speaks to the internal racism that runs
rampant in the WWE and to how the WWE uses controversy and racist tropes
to its advantage. Racism in the WWE must be stopped, because entertainment
spin does not make up for the damage of racism.^8

The WWE reaps the benefits of Black viewership and Black physical labor,
and it should not perpetuate racist storylines, imagery and toxic work
environments. We must hold the WWE accountable for continuously exploiting
the work of Black athletes. With regular RAW, NXT and other high profile
events hosted in California we can hold them to some of the highest
workplace standards in the country by calling on California Attorney
General, Xavier Becerra, to investigte the work place discrimination and
racism happening within the WWE.

[ [link removed] ]Demand California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, investigate racism
in the WWE.

Someone in your household may be tuning in to this week’s “WWE Raw,”
believing that this is “just” entertainment. But on a closer look, you can
see the WWE trafficking in harmful images and narratives. Anti-Black and
negative narratives of Black people in media have led to police killings
of unarmed Black people, tougher prison sentencing, unfair treatment in
schools, and more. 

The WWE’s fan base is more than 25% Black, and we have the power to hold
the WWE accountable.^9,10 We have the opportunity to activate our
political voice and effect change within an industry that profits from our
labor and our viewership. It is time we challenge the status quo and shape
the entertainment we deserve. 

[ [link removed] ]Demand California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, investigate the
racism Black wrestling independent contractors experience in the WWE.

Until justice is real,

--Brandi, Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, Johnny, Future, Eesha, Samantha,
Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color Of Change team

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References:

 1. “NXT's Jordan Myles Isn't Standing Down over the Racist Shirt WWE
Designed for Him,” Deadspin, October 31, 2019,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 2. “NXT’s Jordan Myles Calls Out WWE over Racist T-Shirt Design,” Sports
Illustrated, October 28, 2019,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 3. “Pro Wrestling Is Fake, but Its Race Problem Isn't,” The Atlantic,
July 10, 2014,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 4. “WWE’s Lack of Black World Champions Must Be Addressed in 2019,”
Fansided, January 2019,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 5. “WWE Is Trying To Defuse Its Own History With A Storyline,” Deadspin,
April 4, 2019, 
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 6. “The Coon Caricature,” Ferris State University, 2012,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 7. “WWE Is Trying to Defuse Its Own History with a Storyline,” Deadspin,
April 4, 2019,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 8. “The Post-Hulkamania WWE Network Is Still Racist,” Vice, July, 30,
2015,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 9. “Tracking Fan Avidity for the Fight Game,” Sports Business Model,
April 22, 2013,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
10. “Sports Viewers Skew Republican — but NBA Fans Lean Blue,” CBS News,
April 2, 2010,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ [link removed] ]Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black
folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. [ [link removed] ]Help
keep our movement strong.

<style type="text/css">

blockquote .original-only,
.WordSection1 .original-only
{
display: none !important;
}

</style>

<div class=".original-only">

You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]
</div>