#body break

How we Battled Racism | BodyBreak Hal Johnson

I had the opportunity to grow up in Canada and go to University and work in the United States. As a black man, my perspective of both countries is quite different than those of my white friends. 

Racism in the US is in your face.  It's always present.  But in Canada, it's there but subtle. 

My goal in creating Body Break, 32 years ago, was to break down barriers and change attitudes. I wanted to show that regardless of your physical ability, your ethnicity, the colour of your skin, we can all live, work and play together. 

In the last 3 weeks, I have had numerous white friends call me and ask me a wide variety of questions. They have all asked “what can they do”?  I simply say LISTEN.  For my entire life, in order to succeed, I have had to become a chameleon and conform to society.  For the first time in my life I feel white people want to learn and want to listen. 

I feel that talking about my experiences, the encounters with police and the racism in the workplace as a bi-racial person in both countries it can help educate those who want to listen.  It can also give us hope that we can get through this time stronger and more unified than ever. I am extremely hopeful this is a new day for all of us to come together.

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I feel sick over this.

I loooooved Hal and Joanne as a kid.

Still do luv them!

Hearing his story made me ugly cry over how unfair this was to him.

Every Canadian has the Body Break jingle permanently etched in their heads.

But the reason it was started was bcz TSN already had a black person working there?

A.

SINGULAR.

AS IN.

ONE.

(1).

WHAT.

THE.

ACTUAL.

FUCK??????????

Plz read this and give Hal some luv and watch his video.

ICYMI: The true story of how racism spawned the ubiquitous “Body Break.”