I’ve found it quite interesting that Rev. Al Sharpton has agreed to host this coming Monday’s Raw. After all, by agreeing to appear on Raw, Sharpton, who has long positioned himself as one of the foremost leaders of the black community, would tacitly be endorsing a company with quite the spotty track record when it comes to dealing with issues of race.

So, earlier this week, I reached out to Sharpton through his "National Action Network," and asked him to address some specific racial controversies coming out of WWE, including its depiction of several racial stereotypes in some of its characters, such as the lawn mower-riding Mexicools, and the jewelry-stealing Cryme Tyme; WWE Chairman Vince McMahon using the "N-Word" while addressing John Cena in a backstage segment in 2006; the Michael Hayes – Mark Henry situation; and the Hall of Fame induction earlier this year of Bill Watts, who was fired as an executive in WCW following a 1991 interview with the Pro Wrestling Torch that was laden with racially insensitive comments about blacks.

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