This is not ‘cancel culture’, this is fighting systematic injustice

Ben Garves Podcast: Fitness, Nutrition, and Activism

I’m going to keep it short and sweet today because my intent is to try to communicate to Cody Anderson why his statement about bullying and cancel culture is wrong.

While he did say he does not agree with or support the things Greg Glassman has said, he has criticized our movement for perpetuating “cancel culture” in the way we’re separating ourselves from CrossFit. Anderson wrote on Instagram, “Does anybody else see the hypocrisy in preaching unity and love across all people and then raising metaphorical pitchforks at somebody the next week when they make a stupid comment?”

Later in his statement he writes, “Cancel culture is not ok, it’s bullying and excludes all opinions except it’s own.”

Well. Cody. First of all, you spoke up and said that you want to embrace love. Which all of us agree with you on. For sure, everything we’re doing here is in support of love and in fight of hatred. But what your statement ignores and fails to address is a society that is systematically oppressing, arresting, hurting, and killing black people. Greg Glassman has had two weeks in the spotlight for this, and millions of moments he could have changed his stance, spoken up, or walked back his hatred.

Racism does not go away just because we say, “oh, silly Greg Glassman. You’re such a goofball. We forgive you.” We don’t. And we’re not leaving his brand because we don’t have forgiveness in our hearts. We’re leaving his brand because he isn’t changing. We’re leaving his brand because we already have problems with equality and the brand, under Glassman’s leadership, and he’s not providing a solution to the problem.

You’ve called us bullies. Is Glassman not a bully here? Are you saying we should pay Glassman $3,000 a year of our lunch money so we can stay friends with him while he terrorizes black people? The answer is no.

Will the oppression of black people go away if we forgive Greg Glassman? The answer is no. Will the mass incarceration of black people go away if we forgive Greg Glassman? The answer is no. Will the beatings of black people go away if we forgive Greg Glassman? The answer is no. WIll the killing of black people go away if we forgive Greg Glassman? The answer is no.

Will someone see the example we made here and, as a leader, learn that it’s not okay to perpetuate the systematic oppression of black people? The answer is yes.

This isn’t cancel culture. This is a cultural course correction and Greg Glassman is the iceberg.