How the WE GOT Y'ALL of yoga nonprofits fully missed the mark
Because even white-centric yoga spaces can have no chill
Tan the Yogi sets the scene
There are lots of things that the whites are experts at—lacrosse, hootenannies, racism—but sometimes they forget they just need to shut the hell up and stay in those lanes.
I currently work for a yoga nonprofit with a very small, albeit white staff. When I joined as an employee in 2021, I was the first BIPOC person in the room since the founding of the nonprofit back in 2015.
So basically, it’s a room full of whites making decisions and creating programming for “underserved” people they wanted to be in service of. Cue my Black ass, happy as fuck to have a seat at the table because this organization is doing such “good work,” at least from what I could tell.
No one else was (and still isn’t) talking about white supremacy and inaccessibility in yoga and wellness spaces. Like most nonprofits, this one talked a good game about service and dismantling systems but behind closed doors were replicating the same issues they claim they want to fix.
I want to be clear that these folks are doing their internal work. They are aware of their inherent whiteness and are trying their best. Despite that, they still be with the fuck-shit sometimes.
White folks remind us on the daily that no matter how many books they read, how much advocating they do for less privileged people, or how many times you gotta check they ass, they are still white as fuck and will act as such. They still do and say things without so much as a thought to the impact on the Black/Brown people in the room and beyond.
The rainbow-haired Kayleigh antics in question
So this brings us to our weekly staff meeting where we talk about the upcoming month’s programming.
A cis, gay white man says to everyone,
“My friend can come in and teach a Yoga and Resilience workshop next month.”
While the rest of the staff is in immediate agreement, my Black ass is looking this person up online.
I immediately see a rainbow-colored hair-Kayleigh and I’m automatically thinking, fuck no.
Do these other pale people say anything? Of course not. No one else says a word, and the meeting moves on.
Ten long minutes later, I finally raise my hand,
“Uh…can we back up for a second? Because I don’t think having a white person come teach a workshop on resilience, especially with everything currently going on in the world and when more and more BIPOC folks are showing up to our programming, is a good idea. Definitely giving me an “ick” feeling.”
The white dude visibly glitches and says to me,
“Well, what would you have her teach?”
…I’m thinking, now I know this non-nigga does not have an attitude with me.
Finally I say,
“Well I don't know, but not that.”
To be honest the bitch could have taught juggling, I don’t care. But resilience? As a white person in a majority white nonprofit for Black/Brown people? Absolutely the fuck not.
I honestly don’t remember how the rest of the convo went. But we didn’t end up having any programming the next month. I was pissed for days.
That exchange happened with someone I worked with in other capacities outside of the nonprofit. He couldn’t be avoided. Luckily, we had a phone conversation about it and some mending happened. But like other Black folks in white spaces, I had to deal with the emotional labor of explaining why all of this was some bullshit.
While some may not classify this as a microaggression, it's a more subtle way that white folks will put themselves and other whites as experts on every damn thing.
I'm still annoyed.
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