I’ve thought long and hard about whether I wanted to “get in the booth” as someone suggested and at first, I thought it was comical, to say the least. However, it has been brought to my attention that my words seem to not only carry weight but daggers as well. And as much as I would oblige said request to “put it on the floor” as the great Ohio scholar Latto once said, it might be counterproductive to do such a thing. I am not a bully, in fact, I like to pride myself as a woman of my word — this post (the first of many) will not be malicious in any way, shape, or form toward any content creators. Despite that, I feel the necessity to defend myself against unfounded accusations. So proceed with caution.
I would first like to thank those who continue to support me and my work for all of the years that I have been a journalist; covering stories tirelessly with little to no recognition. I know that this occupation doesn’t always come with a “good job” or a pat on the back and most of the time your biggest supporter is yourself—I don’t think anyone knows that better than me. Choosing to work in a male-centric industry can make a woman one of two things; hard or soft. As I recently celebrated my 9th year as a professional writer, I come to terms that it has hardened me in a sense — not my heart, but my words. And as I continue to be passionate about the things that matter and important topics, I make an effort to avoid favoritism or exclusivity when dealing with broad subjects.
Being a Black writer in music and entertainment has had its ups and downs, its peaks and valleys. Many career advancements and even more failures; come with the territory. But despite there being a push for diverse inclusion in these rooms, we still have to deal with Black women being looked over, unappreciated, and denied access. Unfortunately, that fact can make a lot of us feel unworthy, unacknowledged, and aggressively passive. However, it is not the story for all Black women; some of us don’t subscribe to trauma bonding and we know that it is only a paragraph in our book, not the main theme— that we can prevail and strive for greatness, not only for ourselves but for others too.
As I transition from entertainment journalism to sports journalism, I’ve come to realize that the blatant disrespect toward Black content creators is still very loud and very direct. But most importantly, the blatant disrespect toward Black female content creators and journalists continues to be deafening. I love to say that I want us all to win because I truly do. But I would have to be honest with myself when I ask, “Do the same people that I want to win, want the same for me?” And to be truthfully honest, I don’t think so. I believe there are people in the world, that truthfully want nothing but bad for the next person. And I try not to judge people (although it is kind of hard not to) over their feelings. Feelings are important and I don’t believe anyone should feel that their feelings are invalid or not valued. But with that said I say this, when I say I want all Black women to win, I don’t mean a specific group, an exclusive club, a select few, or the chosen ones— I mean ALL. And when it comes down to the world of sports entertainment, that includes the very few Black women wrestlers in it and their supporters.
A few days ago, I was congratulating a friend on her hard work and achievements. I wanted to express to her how proud I was of her efforts and give her that acknowledgment that I did not always receive during my big moments. Regardless of the opinions of others, my actions were done with good intentions, and I stand by them without any regrets — because again, I am a woman of my word. However, the message got lost in translation and it was brought to my attention that another Black female content creator felt slighted and disapproved of my tweet. Now again, I want to see ALL Black women win, even those who don’t want to see me win, those who snicker and grin in my face and talk of me like a dog behind burner accounts and direct messages. Yes, I want YOU to win, too — But I digress. So, after I was made aware that this content creator felt a way about what I said, I reacted like most humanoids do, and I became defensive. But cooler heads prevailed and I had a personal 1–1 with myself and assessed the situation without emotions. I take accountability for how I made this woman feel, it is never deliberate for me to hurt the feelings of another Black woman, especially a creator. And with that said, I am sorry, that I hurt your feelings or offended you. I honestly did not know my opinion mattered to you that much. And although I apologize for how my message made you feel, I do not apologize for what I said. I have DMs filled with women who felt slighted by you, who felt unworthy by you, who felt excluded by you. And they may never come out and speak on these things publicly, but I will. You never made me feel included, you tossed me to the waist side and deemed me unmerited because of a product that I choose to cover and thoroughly enjoy. I supposed I will never get an apology for that, but that’s fine—I’ll live.
In this vast world, Black women constitute only about 6–7% of the global population —a very small percentage in a world that appears so massive. And while that number is very small in comparison, our creativity and influence are immersive and felt by everyone. We are the trailblazers, trendsetters, groundbreakers, innovators, and leaders. No one can take that away from us, but us. 6–7% and we choose to nitpick tweets and make things about ourselves; when so much can be achieved when we don’t feel valueless by those who look just like us. I want us to stop being passive-aggressive to each other and be more aggressive toward the norm conforming to us being in rooms with our counterparts without it being a diversity inclusion stunt. I want more women from all walks of life to not only sit at the table but at the head of it. I want us to genuinely embrace being “girl’s girls.” And if we can’t do that then what’s the point in fighting for inclusion when there is a division among us?
If you have reached this part of my very first post, thank you. This is my new open blog where I will be sharing my thoughts and concerns on wrestling-related topics, without barriers. Although this post was profanity-free, I do cuss like a sailor (lol) so please be advised that there will be a couple of f-bombs and that four-letter dookie word sprinkled for some pizzaz.
As always you can find me on my Twitter/X account: IAmMeganAmbers or Instagram: MeganAmbers.
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