What Is Colonialism?
Colonialism refers to the practice of a country that seeks to grow it’s reach to territories outside of it’s own. The growth happens in the form of establishing authority and dominance over people of a different region. Authority and dominance over a people happens primarily on an economic level, which extends to every other facet of that culture.
There is a process through which colonialism unfolds. It starts with contact, and then setting up colonies or settlers on the land. After that, there is usually an exchange of cultural practices and knowledge, as the colonizers begin to establish economic opportunities. And with economic growth being the prime directive, the colonizers were not shy about overtaking the native people. As a result, the lives and culture of native people were hijacked and destabilized.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/colonialism/
The Spread
Colonialism had a tremendously destructive impact on many people all over the world. The one I want to talk about is European Colonialism. European Colonialism involves the French and the British mostly. And though they have both had an incredible influence on my homes in the Middle-East, I’ll stick to North America.
Many people’s live were sacrificed in the name of “Economic Growth”. Destabilizing the way of life of a people through mass murder, control over resources, imposing cultural practices, forces them to become ultimately dependent on the colonizers. This is what gives birth to structural racism.
The colonizers show up and destroy the majority of a people and their ways of life. Then they establish institutions to grow and support their own way of life, cultural practices, religion, language, economy etc. Economic growth, specifically, did not apply to the land’s native people. As an example, just look up what the Hudson’s Bay company did to Indigenous people in Canada. The colonizers hold on the land and the resources allows them to establish and grow, at the expense of indigenous lives.
In the case of North America, the British and the French colonized the land, and eradicated indigenous people through military and biological warfare. Following that, the transatlantic slave trade allowed them to build their civilization with free human labour. This is why we say that Black and Indigenous people literally built Canada and the U.S.A.
Racism and Fat
A quick Google search on “Systemic Racism” will lead you down a never-ending rabbit hole of links and resource. And I encourage you to read for yourself! But for the love of peace stay away from Ben Shapiro, Candice Owens, and Jordan Peterson…Any brainwashing/brain damage you incur from listening to/watching their drivel is on you.
So what does systemic racism have to do with decolonizing health and fitness? Simple, the colonizers decide the criteria for health and fitness, and then forcefully impose them on the oppressed people. Much like it infected everything else, racism infected the fields of health and fitness. As a result, white people developed the standards for health and fitness for white people. And anyone who is outside of that norm is either forced to conform or be left behind.
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/20/893006538/fat-phobia-and-its-racist-past-and-present
And again, this is why we talk about structural racism. Racial biases is part and parcel of both fat phobia and the BMI (Body Mass Index).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2253588/
The preferred, colonialist figure is thin and white. So historically, the ones who had access to resources of fitness have been white people. So again, it is no surprise that white people were the first ones to own and operate health and fitness gyms and clubs. Gyms like Goodlife, Equinox, Movati Athletics, are all owned and operated by white people who come from wealth and privilege. And yet almost every gym that gives their members fitness assessments/consults uses the BMI as a measure of health.
https://elemental.medium.com/the-bizarre-and-racist-history-of-the-bmi-7d8dc2aa33bb
Racism and Fitness
Crossfit has always been elitist, and structured in such a way that it contributes to systemic racism. From the exorbitant fees that effectively shut out poor people (who are largely BIPOC), to always featuring white athletes. Greg Glassmen, the former CEO of Crossfit, came under intense heat after the comments he made about George Floyd’s death.
The Crossfit brand definitely suffered from Glassmen’s sentiments. Not to mention that many gyms condemned him and ended their relationship with the brand name. I was happy that many gyms and athletes rallied in support of Black Lives Matter. Yet at the same time, it’s a shame that it took this to make people realize the racism in the fitness industry. I recall watching an interview with Crossfit’s top managers, including Dave Castro. When asked about their plan to address diversity, the managers just looked at each other, and giggled before saying “next question”.
There are countless stories from BIPOC experiencing racism in the fitness industry, ranging from micro-aggressions to full blown racial slurs. I myself have lost count of how many encounters I’ve had since I started my career as a fitness specialist. It’s been usually white men ,mostly, who have made inappropriate remarks either about me or another person of colour. Not to mention all the personal trainers, physiotherapists, chiropractors etc. I’ve spoken with, who are BIPOC, with similar encounters and stories. Unfortunately white privilege and entitlement are powerful concepts. And white people get a free pass all too often, especially when they are paying customers.
Racism and Health
The Healthcare industry is no different, except it’s probably even more sinister. There are many documented cases where Black and Indigenous people were denied healthcare services, In both Canada and the U.S. And it doesn’t stop there. In both countries, there are too many cases of forced sterilization, forced drug trials, at the extreme end. Not to mention unequal and unfair treatment in clinics and doctor’s offices on the less severe side. Either way, the healthcare system is not immune to the horrors of systemic racism. Anyone who isn’t familiar with the ghoulish Tuskegee experiments is living under a rock
https://www.history.com/news/the-infamous-40-year-tuskegee-study
A study in 2000 by van Rynes & Burke found that physicians in the U.S. have more racial biases about Black people. Specifically, the study found that physicians have troubling beliefs about Black people. They believed that Black people, among other things, less educated and less intelligent, and less likely to follow treatment protocols. Another study in 2007 by Peek, Cargill, and Huang, found more troubling issues. In particular, the research notes “among diabetes patients, African-Americans are less likely to receive influenza vaccinations, have glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) testing or cholesterol testing”.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3244674/
The Way Forward
I’m not going to spout cliches and platitudes about ending racism. This talk about “the need to come together” and “put an end to hate” is bullshit. Black and Indigenous people have been screaming this for way too long. Yet relevant change seems to be an elusive thing. I think the best way to move forward is for BIPOC to create our own communities in health and fitness. I cannot overstate the importance of building safe spaces in the fitness industry. BIPOC can filter out the hate, the rhetoric and the mentality that we deem as toxic to our own becoming. And Sister Fit, which is North America’s first gym for Muslim women is a great example of this.
This is not about creating more segregation or divisiveness. No one is calling for “BIPOC Only” signs to be put up anywhere. The only people who are responsible for segregation and divisiveness in the west have been white people. This is about not tolerating anymore intolerance. It’s about rejecting willful ignorance, and being responsible for waking those who would much rather stay asleep. Sound bites like “we need to come together” are played out. Such rhetoric makes it seem as if BIPOC aren’t doing enough. The truth is that BIPOC already do much of the work, and it is exhausting.
A Final Thought on “Change”
Some people may try to downplay what BIPOC have been saying for decades about “meaningful change”. They may argue that change has happened and is still happening. And that things aren’t as bad as they used to be, and other dismissive rhetoric. However, it is important to stress that “Change” to the socio-economic-and political spheres is relative to its time. You can’t bring up the Civil Rights Act every time BIPOC demand change, as if no more work needs to be done. Systemic and Structural racism has evolved and the change we demand must also evolve.