Senior Peloton Instructor Alex Toussaint is speaking up about the impact of racism not only in his life, but in the lives of other Black Americans. In a passionate and heartbreaking video shared to his Instagram account on Wednesday, June 3, the fitness instructor is used his platform to bring attention to the realities of his life as a Black man in America. “My people are dying. Black individuals like myself, young Black men, kings and queens, are not making it home safely,” Toussaint said just days after George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25. “They get killed in broad daylight on camera. This has got to stop, man.”
Toussaint told his audience that sometimes, his biggest milestones in the day are waking up and making it back home safely, because these small moments are not a guarantee for Black people. “Some of y’all think this racism sh*t isn’t even real. Listen, if I’m in your home, if you’re rocking with me, racism is real,” he said. “Racism is in your life. I’m in your life . . . I’m not exempt from this ’cause I work at Peloton where I got cameras in my face when y’all show love.”
Toussaint urged viewers to look beyond this particular moment and to recognize the deep and ongoing pain of racism in America. “I’m a grown-ass man. I text my mom every single night to let her know I’m alive,” he explained. “My life is not a trend; our lives are not trends. My life is more than a f*cking hashtag . . . I’m f*cking scared, I’m tired, I’m hurt, and I’m angry . . . I’m just trying to make it another 24 hours.”
Touissant also encouraged his thousands of followers to take action, get informed, and actively strive to change the societal structures that make these daily struggles a reality. “I need you to really wake up,” he urged viewers. “I need you to ultimately do better. I need you to teach your families, teach the people in your communities, surround yourself with individuals who do not look like you . . . Stop repeating the same sh*t. It’s time to evolve.”