This archive report was first published on 8 June 2020.
Published on June 8, 2020, the world was still reeling from the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody after a white policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Following his death, protests erupted globally in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The movement highlighted the need for greater awareness and action against racism.
Reebok, a leading fitness brand, was among the first to take a stand against racism. The company announced that it would end its partnership with CrossFit, a fitness company that had been embroiled in controversy after its CEO made a tweet that appeared to make light of Floyd's death.
The tweet, which was posted on June 6, 2020, read: 'It's FLOYD-19.' The tweet sparked widespread outrage and was widely condemned as insensitive and racist.
Other fitness brands, including Pacific Crest CrossFit in Portland and Humble Beast Fitness in Washington, also cut ties with CrossFit after the company's CEO failed to acknowledge the gravity of the situation.
Balance Gym in DC announced that it would also be ending its affiliation with CrossFit, citing a lack of alignment between their values.
However, in a subsequent apology, CrossFit's CEO, Greg Glassman, acknowledged that his tweet was a mistake and not intended to be racist. He apologized for the pain caused by his words and stated that CrossFit would not stand for racism.
