I mean, really, really close attention.
I mean beyond the my profile pic is ablack square kind of attention.
We need to listen, digest, understand, andact.
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We need more than an Ive been searching for the right words kind of understanding and action.
The right words start with: Police brutality is killing Black people in our country.
Our systems are racist and oppressive toward Black people, and Black lives more than matter.
And every place is the place for systemic change.
Second, not the right place can sometimes be code for it makes me uncomfortable.
Sometimes we avoid things because theyre hard.
Or we just dont feel like doing the work.
If we say the wrong thing, we might be reprimanded, called out, embarrassed, or ashamed.
But those fears still have nothing on the fear or threat of losing your life.
So, yes, this is the place.
Yes, it can be uncomfortable.
Yes, it will be work.
Yes, we will all make mistakes.
And yet we need to speak up and speak out anyway.
But how is it part of our job you ask?
Lets talk about it.
Think back to what brought you into this industry in the first place.
We want to empower people.
Say it again, out loud.
As fitness professionals, we are teachers, we are leaders, we are coaches, we are guides.
People trust us with their bodies, their health, and their wellbeing.
Let that sink in.
We are direct players and also representatives.
We create and uphold the norms.
We are the link between the clients/public and the larger ecosystem.
And that system, like all others, is inherently oppressive.
We must recognize that the concept of your best life/self is necessarily hamstrung in a racist society.
Our industry is full of privilegefrom how it came to be to how its run and who it serves.
And we have the ability to change that.
In fact, we have a responsibility to change that.
Im not here to tell you exactly what to say or to teach you how to be anti-racist.
That is not my lane, that is not my expertise.
Im here to speak up in hopes that you might too.
We cannot be silent.
We cannot avoid the work.
As trainers and instructors we are literally in the business of doing hard work.
We are in the business of growth, empowerment, and behavior change.
Lets get to work.
