Anti-Racism Statement
Fierce Grace is committed to actively work against racism.
We feel the urgency of the anti-racist movement and we are dedicated to dismantling systemic and structural racism.
Now is a time of enormous pain for the black community. As a predominantly white business, we must ensure we are working harder than ever to be part of the enormous momentum for change the world is seeing now. The issues being brought to the forefront are problems we need to help solve; not simply issues we need to empathize with. We seek to educate ourselves, to examine our privilege and use it to further the anti-racist movement, and to support our black community by ensuring we listen and that they can thrive within our community and beyond. Our commitment to anti-racist work seeks to create and maintain long-term change.
Yoga brings everyone together in a spirit of unity, support, and a shared desire to be free of limitations. Whether they be limitations in body that would seek to reduce our movement, in mind that would distance ourselves from another human being, whether they be societal and seek to reduce our ability to succeed, or in spirit that would limit our ability to feel free and happy. A yoga class is a unique space where everyone is equal, and also elevated to their highest potential as human beings.
Effort, application, sweat, courage, freedom, compassion and achievement are the qualities we all share together on the mat. However, as teachers we must not rest in the knowledge that yoga is anti-racist by virtue of its origin and its teachings. We must actively work to ensure racism, even in its most subtle forms, has no place in our teaching, our studios, our front desk, our changing rooms, our behaviour and words.
As we dismantle the oppressive systems we navigate as a society, we must also eradicate the ways they’ve manifested in us as well. By sitting in the discomfort that arises from awareness of how bias and privilege affects our treatment of others. As teachers who have the privilege to work with people from all backgrounds, of all ages and abilities, we share an enormous responsibility to educate ourselves in this vast subject, and inspect ourselves and ensure we are actively against racism wherever we may encounter it, no matter how difficult that might be. Similar to how the temporary discomfort of a yoga pose or asana is beneficial to our healing, growth, and liberation, so is the discomfort of anti-racism work.
As a community that now spans several countries, Fierce Grace at our very heart is committed to the unity, equality and wellbeing of everyone who graces our studios or classes. We will actively fight against racism in the way we teach, how we train our teachers, and the way our staff communicate. We are committed to learn, listen and do all we can to ensure equality flourishes and grows in our community. To this end at Fierce Grace we will endeavour to expand our limitations every day, widen our views, inspect our own beliefs, respect everyone, seek to assist and help all equally and practise loving kindness, acceptance, cooperation and respect for all beings.
Being a yoga teacher is a privilege. Coming into the yoga space with people from all backgrounds, ages and abilities is an honour and a joy, so it is our responsibility to be learning and educating ourselves constantly.
We aim to create a community within which our members, teachers and staff feel comfortable enough to share their experiences. We are open to hearing from all of our FG community - and especially Black, Asian or any other ethnic minority teachers and students - on ways we can improve. We are committed to continue to being open to correction and teachable, as we understand that being anti-racist is a continuous practice.
We are also committed to helping students from Black, Asian or any ethnic minority background take our training through our scholarship programme, ensuring our students feel we are a welcoming space for all, supporting black businesses, fundraising for organisations fighting this fight and those who are working towards major changes in the law.
Below we have included some suggestions for further education, learning and growth that we encourage our FG community to look at. Please help us build on what we have, and create an actively anti-racist community by getting in touch with any feedback, or with any suggestions so we may add to this list, share, and grow together.
Suggestions for further education, learning and growth:
A small selection of influential Educators, Leading Lights, Voices and Civil Rights Activists
Rachel Cargle
Reni Eddo Lodge
https://www.aboutracepodcast.com
Ibram X Kendi
Layla F. Saad
Angela Davis
https://www.facebook.com/AngelaDavis26
John Lewis
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/53463386
Anti Racism Daily Newsletter by Nicole Cardoza
Chelsea Jackson Roberts
https://www.chelsealovesyoga.com/bio/
Book List
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ljeoma Oluo
- How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy and the Racial Divide by Crystal Fleming
- Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet Washington
- The Hollywood Jim Crow: The Racial Politics of the Movie Industry by Maryann Erigha
- Code of the Street by Elijah Anderson
- The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad
- Skill In Action by Michelle Cassandra Johnson
- Yoga, The Body and Embodied Social Change by Berila, Klein and Roberts
Fearless Futures offers experiential courses in anti-racism
https://www.fearlessfutures.org:
Online courses, resources, free trainings:
https://www.eventbrite.com/c/educate-yourself-online-racial-equity-workshops-cwwzzcp/
