We reported yesterday about a Huffington Post web show that was covering the topic of racism in WWE, and featured comments from Mark Henry and Koko B. Ware.
Huffington Post posted an update to the article, specifically posting a portion of the show where Henry talks about what role he refused and why. Henry told the host:
“A lot of people remember the Silverback thing,” Henry told host Marc Lamont Hill. “Honestly, I could not do it. I told them: ‘I can’t do that. I got two little black kids at home.'”
Henry was given the nickname “Silverback” (silverbacks are gorillas) in 2007, but it was quickly phased out. Henry also defended the company too, saying:
“Black culture, we dance and sing. We’re entertainers,” Henry said. “James Brown said it best: the things we are make people want to be like us.”
You can view the clip about the Silverback name with Henry here, and the entire show is available for archive by clicking the following link.
BP: The Silverback name has been criticized long before this interview, but it’s interesting hearing it from Henry. He was the subject of racist comments by Michael Hayes years ago, but Henry seems to have forgiven him and wanted to keep the company in a positive light. This show lended a lot more credibility than a previous article we posted about.
