Before the civil rights movement, a group of African-American women paved the way for female athletes in an arena that has typically been associated with men. Brave women such as Babs Wingo, Ethel Johnson, Marva Scott and Ramona Isbell blazed a trail in professional wrestling back in the 1950s and '60s.
The little-known story of these women is finally coming to light in the new documentary “LadyWrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring.” The 80-minute film will debut on Thursday, March 29, at 7 p.m. at the Wexner Center for the Arts on the campus of The Ohio State University, 1871 N. High St. in Columbus.
In their heyday, the
lady wrestlers traveled all over the world and were hailed as superstars in places
as far-flung as Japan, Latin America and Australia. But when they returned home to the U.S. and
wrestled in the Deep South, they were forced to stay in segregated boarding
houses, enter in the back door of restaurants and drink from “Colored” water
fountains.
But interestingly
enough, wrestling promoters and fans of all races received the women
enthusiastically. The women’s appearances in Southern towns were often heralded
by advertisements with enthusiastic messages such as, “Negro Girls Here Tonight!”
In the documentary, Johnson
and Isbell describe how they found the strength to endure and overcome racism
and sexism at the height of their fame when they were in their teens and 20s.
For tickets and
more information about “Lady Wrestler,” click here.
