For Decades, Black Belt Magazine Ignored Black Martial Artists; Now Wants to Exploit Their Legacies
Black Belt Magazine, Bruce Lee, Stephen Hayes and the Big Business of Racism in Martial Arts
On February 6th, 2024, Black Belt Magazine vaguely alluded to its history of racism in martial arts. The magazine has been widely recognized as a credible source for martial arts journalism and history.
Over the last two decades, with the help of social media, Black martial artists have spoken out on how racism played a significant role in the history and development of martial arts in America.
Black Belt Magazine has been identified as a core contributor of racism in the martial arts media to develop the careers of actor Bruce Lee and Caucasian Ninjutsu practitioner Stephen Hayes.
Current publisher and Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee George Chung recently said, “The editorial team at Black Belt acknowledges that, for many years, the magazine lacked diverse coverage across race and gender.”
The tactful acknowledgment comes without answering the most critical question:
Why was there a lack of diverse coverage concerning race in martial arts?
