An Open Letter About the Barre Community and Inclusion

Dear readers of the blog, it’s time to have a long-overdue conversation.

Before I begin, I’d like to recognize that whenever I refer to Black with a capital B, I am referring to people of the African diaspora. It’s not common to capitalize Black and White in writing, therefore if you would like a detailed explanation of why I chose to do so, you can read this here. I will also be using the acronym BIPOC, which stands for ‘Black, Indigenous, People of Colour.’

Let me start by sharing an anecdote. Six years ago the movie Selma was released. It was Ava DuVernay’s biggest theatrical film at the time and starred David Oyelowo, brilliantly portraying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I remember it well because I was working at the Toronto International Film Festival at the time and our staff were treated to a preview screening and talk with the director and star.

I was moved by the film and so were my colleagues who rightfully gave it a standing ovation. I thought to myself, this is a Best Picture-worthy film and deserves all the accolades it can get.

When the nominations for the 2015 Oscars were announced, I was shocked that Ava had been left out of the Best Directing category and David out of Best Actor despite the 4 Golden Globe nominations it received, and a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was nominated for two Oscars including Best Picture and Best Writing for an Original Song of which it won the latter, but in my opinion, the film was snubbed.

I recently learned that while doing press for the film, the cast and crew wore “I can’t breathe” shirts to show support for Eric Garner whose death had taken place a few months earlier. In a recent interview, David Oyelowo spoke about how members of the Academy called the studio and the film’s producers to say, “how dare they, why are they stirring up s**t.” In his words “they used their privilege to deny a film on the basis of what they valued in the world.” For reference, only 8% of the Academy voting body at the time was made up of BIPOC. Today it’s not much better at 16%.

He continued to say that when the Academy called the film’s producers they felt that “we are not going to vote for that film because we believe it’s not their place to do that.” He concluded that “it’s part of why the film didn’t get everything that people feel it should have got and it birthed #oscarssowhite.”

George Floyd’s last words spoken on earth were “I can’t breathe,” the same words that were uttered by Eric Garner six years ago. I bring this anecdote up because it reminds me that not much progress has been made since the Black Lives Matter movement started in 2013. Despite seven years to get educated, to stand up, and to show that Black lives matter, the peaceful protests up to this point have largely been ignored by the White majority and people in power. It wasn’t until the video surfaced of George Floyd’s murder that we really woke up to the atrocities that were taking place.

Now more than I realize then, systemic racism goes beyond police brutality and political inaction. It permeates all aspects of our culture and the idea that the political action of Selma‘s cast could result in the film being blackballed by an overwhelmingly White academy is just as racist as a police force that targets and discriminates against African Americans. It has got me thinking a lot lately about the barre community and what examples of systemic racism toward Black people exist. Are we willing to have a hard look at what the community is and isn’t?

We’re at a turning point in history where we can no longer stand on the sidelines waiting for change to happen. We must demand it and proactively take a stand against racism.

I’ll start by speaking to our Black readers. I understand how extremely tense, emotional, triggering, and traumatic this week has been. I see you, I stand with you, and I will fight with you; not just this week, this month or even this year. This is a life-long commitment to change until you have gained the justice, rights and equality that is your birthright.

As a White woman myself, I feel very strongly that it’s my absolute responsibility to continue championing for change and to practice lifelong allyship.

What I commit to doing going forward

If you’ve been following The Barre Blog Instagram account you would have seen me try to scratch the surface of advocacy this week. I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t done enough up to this point and that there is MUCH more work to be done.

After careful thought, I’m sharing what I commit to doing in the future, as it pertains to the site.

1. There needs to be more representation of Black voices and Black-owned businesses not only on the blog but on the blog’s social media pages. I plan to actively look for stories to share and content to amplify.
2. I will recruit and actively look for Black voices to contribute to the site. It’s not enough to expect that BIPOC and their stories will fall into my lap. I need to be proactive and foster relationships with potential contributors in the community.
3. To move forward we have to take a step back and learn first. We can learn from and lean on each other to find ways to use our platforms to reflect the tenor of the time we’re in. I will do all I can to facilitate discussions around inclusivity and moving forward in the right direction.
4. I will continue to not promote, endorse or otherwise amplify the content of brands and accounts that have counterproductive and racist beliefs. I understand that not everyone chooses to vocalize their advocacy publicly, so I want to make sure that I clarify what I mean by choosing who to endorse. As an example, if a brand were to promote the #alllivesmatter hashtag, fulling knowing the weight of what it means when you say something like that, you can bet I want nothing to do with them.

This work will be ongoing and may not take shape immediately but I plan to begin this work as soon as possible. I invite anyone who is reading this to call me out if you don’t believe I have met these expectations down the road.

How you can make a difference within your own barre community.

If you’re a studio owner or have a fitness-based business, here are a few questions you and your staff can think about to get you started in the process.

1. Do our classes and events ensure that everyone feels welcome? How can we make them feel more welcoming? What are our blind spots?
2. How can we further amplify Black voices and brands within our studio experiences and on our platforms?
3. How can we support underrepresented groups to grow their brands, businesses and visions?

If you’re just beginning this work, thank you for identifying that work needs to be done. The work will be tough and difficult conversations will need to be had. Let me tell you though, I will be right there with you cheering you on. I am learning in real-time just as you might be doing as well.

I believe in this community. It is made up of some of the strongest people I’ve seen and together we can grow stronger. I urge you to take the time to listen, learn and brainstorm ways that not only support the Black community but push the conversation forward so we can see real change happen. Also, if you are a non-BIPOC, respect your Black sisters’ and brothers’ energy, time and space.

What do you think we need to do as a community to make sure it’s more inclusive?

Thank you for reading!

Melissa
The Barre Blog Editor