In a time of increasingly overt racism, Sonja Herbert founded Black Girl Pilates as a safe space for African-American teachers of the method. Because #blackbodiesmatter too.
THOUGH RACISM HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART IN AMERICAN LIFE, the last few years have brought it more and more to the surface.
Those issues don’t end at the studio door.
“Even though we’re in fitness, we’re not separated from racism, white privilege and white supremacy,” says Sonja Herbert, an instructor at Uptown Pilates in New York and the founder of Black Girl Pilates, a support group for African-American teachers and devotees of the method. Racism “looks the same in fitness as it does any other part of our life,” she points out.
It’s not always blatant, but its effects are still demoralizing, she says. Sometimes it takes subtle forms, like at the beginning of a class, “a student will question who the instructor is, even though it’s pretty obvious,” she reports. “Or they’ll say things, like, this is actually a really good class,” implying their surprise even if they don’t come out and say it.
Denne historien er fra March - April 2019-utgaven av Pilates Style.
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Denne historien er fra March - April 2019-utgaven av Pilates Style.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Finding New Momentum
Overcoming obstacles caused by the pandemic, the virtual version of this popular festival still achieved its goals.
Carola Trier's Extraordinary Journey
In his authoritative biography of the first woman to open a studio, Reiner Grootenhuis delved into her personal papers to tell the harrowing story of her time in a prison camp during World War II.
Racism in the Pilates Industry
Incidents of police brutality and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests have shed a bright light on systemic racism in the U.S., including in the Pilates industry. Here, Black instructors share their experiences.
For Self-defense
Moves of the Month
Comfort Food Made Healthy
This fall, cozy up to tantalizing comfort food that’s also healthy. A new cookbook from Kristin Cavallari shows you how.
Pilates Postcard
A Pilates teacher shares how the method is making waves abroad.
The Ultimate Gift
One year ago, Kahley Schiller’s life was completely upended by an extreme health crisis. But thanks to her 20-year Pilates practice, the 40-year-old was able to recover quickly.
Revelations
For Sarita Allen, a star of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and a protégée of Kathleen Stanford Grant, Pilates was key to her decades-long career.
Meaning WITHIN THE Movement
The Five Elements of Chinese Medicine help you go deeper into your practice, promising plenty of play along the way.
PILATES IN THE HOOD
Though she’s trained many top stars, Kim Carruthers says she’s most proud of her work as the founder and director of a nonprofit bringing the method to underserved communities.
