WWE NXT’s Sol Ruca gets candid about fans questioning her racial identity.
Former WWE NXT Women’s North American Champion Sol Ruca was the latest guest on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story podcast. By the end of the episode, Ruca noted that she wants to address the fans who question her racial identity.
Sol Ruca is biracial, born to a black father and white mother. She noted that every February, during Black History Month, some fans question why WWE includes her among black talent. However, Ruca said, even when she posts pictures of her father, musician Paul A Hampton, it’s not enough for them.
“I feel like Black History Month — I’m mixed, I feel like a lot of people don’t really accept that, or I guess some people accept it, some people don’t,” Sol Ruca said. “I do feel like that is — it’s always crazy every year when this month rolls around and people are like, ‘Why are you calling her Black? She’s not Black.’ Or other people defending me and stuff. I don’t know, I think people just need to, like, why would I lie about that? I don’t know, I think people just need to be a little nicer to each other…
“I get a lot of people that are asking for proof. Like, ‘Oh, prove it, show me a picture of your dad.’ And then I do, and they’re like, ‘He’s mixed, he’s not full Black.’ It always baffles my mind every time people start finding out again. I feel like it goes in waves of people, like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know she was Black.’ All this stuff. I’m like, guys, I understand how I look, but genes are crazy,” Sol Ruca said.
Sol Ruca says she hasn’t experienced the same level of racism black women face
Speaking further, Sol Ruca noted that she faces this issue more online than in real life. However, she does remember an instance when she was younger when her parents got kicked out of a store because of their race. She also opened up about dealing with people joking that she’s a better athlete because she’s part black, which is a stereotype.
Sol Ruca also shared that since her skin is lighter, she hasn’t experienced the same level of racism that black women face. But she’s proud of who she is and her parents.
“I’ve never claimed that I’m a Black woman, I know I’m mixed. But I still think it should be accepted,” Sol Ruca said. “I feel like a lot of mixed people have this identity crisis because it’s like, ‘Where do I fit?’ And people are going to tell you that you’re not this, or you’re not that, or you’re not Black enough, or you’re not white enough, or you’re whatever. And I’m just like, why does it matter?…
“It’s a weird topic that I still really don’t know how to navigate, but I mean, I know who I am, I know who my dad is, I know who my mom is, and, like, there’s nothing I can do about it. So [I’m proud of who I am]. [H/T F4WOnline]
While she is a former Women’s North American and Speed Champion, Sol Ruca has the opportunity to win the NXT Women’s Championship for the first time next Tuesday on the Booker T Appreciation Night episode of WWE NXT.
Read More: Current Plans For IYO SKY At WWE WrestleMania 42 — Report
