This series on diversity, equity and inclusion is brought to you in collaboration with BLAQUE. For more on this series, read our introduction story here.
The term “systemic racism” can be a triggering phrase for some people who are skeptical of its reality today. After all, segregation is no longer legal, and people can get sued for discriminating based on race, right? So how could systemic racism, also called institutional racism or structural racism, be a reality today?
But statistics bear out that institutions today still operate in ways that deleteriously affect people of color. Black unemployment is consistently twice as high as white unemployment even among college graduates. A higher number of people of color have lower paying jobs in service industries, which were deemed “essential” during the COVID-19 shutdowns, one factor in why a higher number of people of color are dying from COVID-19. Redlining in housing may have ended, but most cities still have that “dividing line” between where white people live and where people of color live. Often the area of town where people of color live is less wealthy with fewer services (such as gyms) and more food deserts—contributing to the higher obesity rate for Black and Latinx people compared to white people.
Systemic racism is “the complex interaction of culture, policy and institutions that holds in place the outcomes we see in our lives,” according to Glenn Harris, president of Race Forward and publisher of Colorlines.
Phrased this way, the term systemic racism may come across to you as impersonal. But systemic racism is personal. It has personal effects on real people. People of color.
In this edition of Club Industry’s Hear Our Voices series, Black fitness professionals share how systemic racism in the fitness industry has affected them personally.
Q: How has your experience in the fitness industry been impacted by systemic racism?
Jana Stewart, Health And Lifestyle Accountability Coach And Lifestyle Consultant
A: One of the nutrition companies that I'm an ambassador for frequently highlights their athletes. At my last national show (I’m a national figure competitor), I placed in the top three, which in our industry at a national show is a big deal. I posted my results with pictures and tagged the CEO and the U.S. director of sales at the nutrition company. One of the top sales reps in the company saw my post, texted me congrats and told me that he was sitting next to the CEO, showed him my pictures and told him how I did. Despite that, I was not once highlighted on any of the company pages. Yet the white woman who competes and is an ambassador for the same company was highlighted and featured twice on both the international page and U.S. page. When I contacted the U.S. sales director (a Black woman), she apologized, offered excuses like maybe the CEO didn't know, she missed seeing my post, etc. She said that she would make it up to me. One would think making it up to me would be to feature my competition stats and photos on the page, but that's not the case. I have no idea what would make a Black woman respond like that, but apparently she knows something that I don't. That's just one example.
Mike Z. Robinson, Owner, MZR Fitness
A: Overall, I would say that I’ve had a successful career in the fitness industry that I’m happy with, but I definitely have had to work what feels like 10 times harder than white counterparts to create any of the opportunities that I’ve experienced. I can remember reaching out to a lot of companies in the fitness industry for the first several years of my career seeking partnership opportunities because I was young, passionate, energized and I had a million win-win ideas for those businesses and myself. But often times when I reached out to these companies, I didn’t even get a response from them, and if I did, I would hear things such, “What conferences are you speaking at?” or “What pro athletes or celebrities do you train?” or “Contact us when you have a bigger following.”
All that was extremely discouraging, especially in the beginning because a lot of these opportunities were unavailable to me because I wasn’t getting the exposure. Was some of that systemic racism? It definitely felt like it was to me at times, especially when these more popular fitness professionals would just pass on their contacts and connections to a trainer in their network and then it just kept going like that in the cycle. But I didn’t pout. I just kept working, and it wasn’t until I started reaching out to these big name “fitness experts” for advice, or if I invested in their programs, that the needle began to move for me. And the only reason that they were big names to me were because all of the marketing exposure that they got.
I have always been willing to learn from anybody, but once I started seeking connections and answers to climb up the totem pole in the industry, I learned really quickly that there was a lack of diversity present with the leaders of the industry. And there still is a huge lack of diversity within the leaders.
Ianthe Mellors, Head of Fitness and Dance, FitXR
A: My experience with racism in the industry has manifested itself in my many roles: head of fitness, studio manager and coordinator, master trainer, brand ambassador and group fitness instructor. There has always been a huge disparity between the way I have been treated in comparison to my white colleagues. I have been tokenized in campaigns and had my skin made to look white by numerous companies and been unsupported as I’ve advocated for myself and others against racism in the industry.
Venus Davis, Founder, The Strong Academy
A: As an IFBB Physique competitor, I have the physical appearance of a woman who obviously lifts (heavy). Throw my skin color into the equation and my presence becomes “intimidating.” That is a descriptive term that I would hear about myself on an almost daily basis. Black women are infamously seen as being “naturally combative” and/or too strong-willed. That stereotype precedes us even in the professional environment. Because of this preconceived notion, even those who are impressed, intrigued and/or inspired by me are hesitant to converse with me directly. All too often, someone tells me that another person complimented me to them, but they never compliment me directly. As tough as my exterior may appear to be, I am still a human being, and being unconsciously deemed as unapproachable adds to my insecurities. Those people secretly paying me compliments could also be paying me money as clients if they would grant me the opportunity to personally talk to them. One cannot help but feel a bit defeated when some of one’s greatest barriers are factors that are out of their control. Although this sentiment does not apply to me directly, this can potentially affect one’s ethic and performance at work, leading to a lack of loyal and new clients alike.
The past five years as a fitness trainer/coach have been an extraordinary experience. With wellness and fitness being my mission and passion, I was eager to grow and set goals to becoming a wellness icon. I soon learned that this goal would be much more challenging as I learned more about the industry and how Black women were perceived. I vividly remember interviewing with the then general manager, super excited to finally begin making my transition to what I saw as the beginning of an epic experience. One of the questions that stuck out was “Where do you see yourself in five years?” That question just made me beam with energy and pride. My response: “I will be a wellness icon.” As much as I still believe and know this is what will happen, my experiences at my new gym ended up being a different story. I learned that Black women trainers were not marketed the same as non-Black counterparts. Luckily, I am the true definition of “go-getter” and think on a very large scale, so I rebounded and swiftly made adjustments in my career strategy early on. Unfortunately, this would not be the same for some colleagues that are women of color who had been in the industry much longer than me. Sadly, I discovered they had been struggling to get ahead and even just promoted.
Ariana Stowe, Personal Trainer and 305 Fitness Instructor
A: The best way I can describe my experience in the fitness industry is by using the word lonely. I’ve spent most of my life living middle class in the suburbs, and more times than I can count, I was the only Black woman in a fitness class. I rarely see any other Black female trainers at the gym. On occasion, there’s one or two of us at the gym during peak hours, but that’s the exception not the rule. So I can visually see how redlining in the 1930s could make it possible today for our overall representation in fitness to be so low.
Jessica, Personal Trainer, Equinox (last name withheld upon request)
A: I have worked at two chain gyms. In big box gyms, you are mainly reliant upon management and salespeople to grow your business. Over the years, I have constantly been passed up for opportunities that went to white trainers. What they got easily, I had to beg for. At first, I didn’t want to believe that race had anything to do with it, but after a while, it’s hard to pretend that less qualified trainers are somehow more deserving of opportunities. When competent and experienced white trainers receive support, I don’t question it. However, when a mediocre trainer gets handed leads and clients on a regular basis and the only difference between them and me is skin color, what other explanation could there be? There is also a clique type of atmosphere that I have noticed in the gyms I have worked at. Invariably, many white trainers, no matter how new they are, are brought into the fold and are treated as if they have always been a part of the family. I’ve noticed that I and other BIPOC trainers are often on the outside looking in.
David Rachal III, Founder and CEO, HEALTHEFIT
A: Having worked in three different major big box gyms and never been afforded the opportunity to serve as general manager has created a chip on my shoulder. To this day, I don’t believe that the owners of these gyms seek to hire the most qualified individuals. Having been passed over multiple times for the role, I’m happy to know that karma has gotten the last laugh as my company is able to operate at 100 percent without restrictions and has been deemed essential in the COVID-19 pandemic that has shut them down. There’s a certain level of gratification in this.
Carlos Davila, Adjunct Professor at LIU Brooklyn, John Jay College and Baruch; Diversity Officer at the Fhitting Room; and Coach at 5th Ave Gym
A: I have had to deal with various microaggressions in my close to 20 years in fitness, but honestly, they didn’t start to gain a significant voice until I started working corporate fitness and subsequently boutique fitness. From comments about how well I speak and write to (for about a month) being congratulated for a TV appearance that another instructor of color was responsible for. (We could be cousins, but I have had dreadlocks for 20 years while he does not.) At first, I laughed it off, but after a while, it started to weigh on me, and I realized that I am not seen.
Dr. Antonio Williams, Associate Professor and Associate Department Chair, Indiana University School of Public Health
A: Systemic racism is one of the main reasons I chose to enter the fitness space. Health and fitness are vital to all communities. However, systemic racism has put the Black community at a severe disadvantage. Obesity and chronic non-communicable diseases are an epidemic in the Black community. Black adults have the highest prevalence of obesity in America (38.4 percent). Black Americans are also 20 percent less likely to engage in physical activity as compared to their white counterparts. As a professor, researcher and consultant, I have dedicated my entire career to helping combat obesity in underserved communities through marketing and consumer behavior research that aims to understand how culture, branding and perception impact physical inactivity.
Cheryl McCarver, Executive Director, Cooper Street YMCA
A: Not having a woman of color in a leadership role to assist and support me on my journey as a vice president.