Big E Prompts Criticism With #BlackExcellence Photo

Do you remember the formation of the New Day, way back in 2014? The Atlantic had just published a lengthy article about how WWE had never crowned a black person with its most prestigious championship, and people were having a great deal of conversation about how everyone in the main event scene was white–or Samoan, in fairness.

Soon after on Raw, the tag team of Big E and Kofi Kingston had yet another losing effort against RybAxel. Xavier Woods, decked out in gear reminiscent of a certain explosive civil rights leader, worked to inspire the team. “Now this is our time,” he said. “This is our place.” The allusions to race weren’t explicit, but they were clear.

A brief run with a happy dancing gimmick aside, the New Day became the top tag team in WWE, and the longest reigning Tag Team Champions in the company’s history. Add to that Sasha Banks as Women’s Champion and Rich Swann as Cruiserweight Champion, and you’ve got a WWE that’s much more diverse than it was even a couple of years ago.

Big E posted a photo with these champions on Twitter along with the hashtag “black excellence.”

httpss://twitter.com/WWEBigE/status/808859706794143744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Predictably, the response was mixed, with some folks happy about the celebration of recently-crowned champions of color and others seeing it as a provocation of racial issues. Kofi Kingston issued a lengthy statement via Twitter, which you can read below.

httpss://twitter.com/TrueKofi/status/809024727012483072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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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.