As of midnight, The New Day have officially made history by breaking Demolition’s record of holding the WWE Tag Team Championship for 478 consecutive days. While many WWE stars showed their support online, some fans were less than pleased with a photo Big E tweeted out after Monday’s WWE RAW, showing The New Day posing with Sasha Banks and Rich Swann.
Unfortunately, some people were apparently bothered by the #BlackExcellence tag and took to social media to complain. Kofi responded this morning by explaining his motivations behind the picture.
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While much of the feedback has been positive, there has also been a lot of negative response with regard to the picture we posted illustrating Rich, Sasha, Xavier, E, and myself wielding our championship titles. Perhaps this is because many are in question of the motivation behind the post:
It does not come from a place of malice, spite, or gloating. It comes from a place of joy and a place of happiness. We have a very strong sense of pride in being the Black People simultaneously holding championships in WWE. Historically in our nation, there was period in time where this would not have happened, followed by a long period of time where it became possible, but had not actually materialized. Now, we are in the time in which the possibility has become a reality.
Why does this matter?
It matters because even though it is hard for some to fathom, the fact is that there are many people who feel as though it is impossible to attain certain goals because of the color of their skin. This is why we must acknowledge the color of ours in this instance. It is important for people of all races, but particularly people of color, and especially the youth, to see that it is entirely possible to achieve your dreams and aspirations regardless of your race. We are a shining example who want to be a source of motivation for others to believe in themselves and do the same.
Excellence is not the same as supremacy. #BlackExcellence is not meant to be divisive. For even if you do not fall into the specific category, you can still take enjoyment in our pride, because in the biggest picture, in a society that often focuses on the negative aspects of race relations, what has transpired with the 5 of us speaks positively to the progress we’ve made as a nation.
It’s unfortunate that Kofi even needed to respond, but he clearly still subscribes to the “power of positivity.” Unsurprisingly, wrestling has a checkered past with racism. In the past, black wrestlers were often stuck with racially sterotypical gimmicks like thieves or witch doctors.The list of black champions in professional wrestling history is unfortunately very short. Ron Simmons, Booker T., Mark Henry, Bobby Lashley (ECW), and The Rock are the only black men to ever hold a World Championship in the WWE.
The photo of Swann, Banks, Kingston, Woods and Big E simultaneously holding their championships is hopefully a sign that a New Day has truly arrived.
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