Black History Month: Fitness, Nutrition and Wellness

In celebration of Black History Month, Sara Gagnon, Eagle Rock's Fitness and Nutrition Consultant, has compiled a non-exhaustive living list of Black fitness, nutrition, and wellness professionals and creators whose (free) labor deserves your eyes, ears, and support. Fitness, food, and wellness ARE political, and social justice and personal well-being are inextricably connected. 

Fitness/Movement, Nutrition and Body Image

• Justice Roe Williams: trainer, speaker, educator, activist, author, and founder of Fitness 4 All Bodies

• Damali Fraiser: inclusive kettlebell coach and founder of Lift Off Strength + Wellness

• Ilya Parker: PT assistant and medical exercise specialist, and founder of Decolonizing Fitness

• Latoya Shauntay Snell: multisport athlete, ultrarunner, activist

• Shana Minei Spence: non-diet and HAES (Health At Every Size) nutritionist

• Roz the Diva: personal trainer + pole instructor

• Alison Mariella Désir: author, activist and runner, author of Running While Black

• Chrissy King: author and former fitness + strength coach

• Sonya Renee Taylor: author and founder of The Body Is Not An Apology

• Adele Jackson: trainer, animal flow instructor, writer

• Sonja R. Price Herbert: pilates rebel and antiracism educator

• Jessamyn Stanley: yoga teacher, author, and founder of The Underbelly Yoga

• Keri Harvey: personal trainer and fitness coach

• Dr. Marcia: physical therapist, yoga instructor, lifter and spoonie

• Christyna Johnson: anti-diet dietitian (her IG posts are so so so informative)

• Zola Williams: pilates instructor

• Shyla Cadogan: dietitian (I've learned SO much from her TikToks)

• Lauren Bell: public health researcher focusing on food access and food education

• Tiffany Ima Akpan: body image coach

Mindfulness and Well-being

• Lalah Delia: author, spiritual writer, guide, educator

• Alex Elle: writing and mindfulness teacher

• Justin Michael Williams: artist, author, speaker

• Les Alfred: host of Balanced Black Girl podcast

• Kobe Campbell: licensed trauma therapist

Books: I think these can be a part of introducing yourself to the intersection of fitness, fatphobia and anti-Blackness and racism

• Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings

• The Body Liberation Project by Chrissy King

• The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

• Deconstructing the Fitness Industrial Complex edited by Justice Roe Williams, Roc Rochon and Lawrence Koval

• Belly of the Beast by Da’Shaun L. Harrison

Books about food justice:

• Food Justice Now! by Joshua Sbicca - an introduction to food injustice/history of food injustice

• Black Food Matters and Black Food Geographies by Ashanté M. Reese

• Eating While Black by Psyche A. Williams-Forson

And for some fitness Black history you might not know about, here’s an introduction to Kathy Grant, an acclaimed choreographer who studied under Joseph Pilates and is responsible for bringing Pilates to the U.S. Check out this article, mentioned in the video.

Lastly, check out this post from All Bikes Welcome about 3 Ways to Celebrate Black History Month as a Cycling Enthusiast!

Happy training, happy learning. Please feel free to add to this list and this conversation!