"Lady Wrestler," which I directed, tells the little-known story of courageous African-American women like Ethel Johnson, Babs Wingo, Marva Scott and Ramona Isbell who braved racism and sexism in the 1950s and '60s to become international superstars in the male-dominated world of professional wrestling.
People often ask me what message I would like audiences to take away from "Lady Wrestler." One message is to persevere in the face of hardship. These phenomenal women overcame enormous odds to success at a time when it was still relatively rare for women to be featured in professional sports.
Ethel Johnson says it best in the documentary:
"They can't stop you. You've got to be determined that you're going to do what you set out to do. Don't let nobody stop you. If you want to do something, go do it. Don't let people tell you you can't do this... woman or man or black or white or yellow or green."
Chris Bournea is a writer and filmmaker. He is the co-author of "All Jokes Aside: Comedy Is a Phunny Business" and the novel "The Chloe Chronicles." He also directed the documentary "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring."
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