Sasha Banks Reflects On Dealing With Racism, How Wrestling Helped Her

Sasha Banks has reflected on experiencing racism as a child during an appearance on the New Day’s podcast, Feel the Power. She shared how she used her fears as motivation to chase her dreams of becoming a pro wrestler.

Opening up about her experiences, Banks confessed it was hard for her as a kid. She found it challenging as her family moved around a lot. Banks stressed how she was the “only black girl in the whole freaking county” when she lived in Iowa, leading to a heavy sense of isolation.

However, it wouldn’t be until she moved to California that Banks would encounter racism first hand. She added that she soon watched pro wrestling after this encounter. This introduction to wrestling, coupled with the desire to be “break this fear,” gave her new direction.

“I was walking home from softball practice and this guy on his porch was screaming at me, ‘Hey ‘N’ Word, get the f–k out of here!’ And instantly, I became so shy and so scared,” Banks recalled. “Next thing I know, I’m watching wrestling like, ‘Whoa! This is who I’m going to be; I’m going to be larger than life. I’m going to be something that I can’t be right now, and I have to do this because this is my dream and I have to break this fear.'”

Banks continued, “So ever since I laid my eyes on wrestling, it was just always my mindset, and this is what was going to save me. It was going to break me away from being a scared little child and being so fearful. But now, I’m here, breaking so many fears, and it’s crazy.”

Sasha Banks is set to face Bayley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship in a Hell in A Cell match. The Hell In A Cell pay-per-view takes place on October 25 from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.