On Friday 5 June we made the following statement about Black Lives Matter on our social media:
At Strength Ambassadors we wholly support the #blacklivesmatter movement. We know there’s a role for everyone to play here in order to make change happen, and make it permanent. It’s not just across the pond, it’s not just for people in ‘power’, and it’s certainly not just up to the black community – it’s up to everyone. Staying silent and standing by is not an option. We have work to do at Strength Ambassadors too.
This is not a kneejerk statement, this is a promise to do more, now and in the future.
What we will do right now:
– Educate ourselves further. As a start, Sally is attending Chrissy King’s course on ‘Anti Racism for Wellness Professionals’ later this month.
– Speak up whenever we see or hear racist behaviour, in any situation.
– Serve the local community better. We operate in a majority black and minority ethnic borough which we are not serving as well as we could be. This summer we will be starting free strength activities for local children and families, starting with a ‘weightlifting for kids’ program.
– Support organisations and brands that show equal representation (not tokenistic, as much of the fitness industry is right now).
– Share black voices and knowledge wherever possible – whether that’s on social media, on our website, or in workshops and events. Black people are under-represented as influencers in the fitness industry.
Here are some friends and colleagues in the strength space who are talking about this from a position of greater knowledge and experience, including:
Chloe Whylie, powerlifting coach @whyliecanlift (check out her interview with @prettystrongworkshop)
Khrys Speed, weightlifting coach @kdotspeed
Chrissy King, educator on diversity in fitness @iamchrissyking
Poorna Bell, author and powerlifter @poornabell