WW Racism: Silence is Violence
We try to keep this blog super positive all the time but sometimes we have to discuss the REAL stuff, too. Today, we were made aware of a situation concerning racism and ww (formerly Weight Watchers) that has made us decide to distance ourselves from the company entirely.
The competitor we regularly (already) promote, iTrackBites, is now our #1 priority. We will still share healthy recipes, of course, but our goal is to move away from ww entirely because we do NOT stand with racism. Until they put out a statement saying they don't, either, we aren't interested in giving them MORE free advertising like we have for the past two years!
Keep in mind this is my opinion, and I'm basically sharing what I've learned from others. If you find something concrete that is contradictory, feel free to forward it to me. Until then, I'm going to spread the word so others can be aware of how WW is behaving as a company.
“Healthi formerly iTrackbites is an alternative to Weight Watchers. “
So, what happened? Here's a rundown:
WW and Racism: What is going on?
I reached out to a few of the IG folks who are talking about this. Here is their info if you want to check out their highlights (that is where the stories are posted):
- momismoving (story about what happened, got screenshots from her)
- erinswellnessjourney (screenshots from her – formerly ww.erin)
- elizabetheatingweeklies (comprehensive story about the entire timeline of what happened, screenshots)
- erinswellnessjourney (shared info about American Dream Nut Butter Company)
- saynotofries (story about what's going on, what happened, etc)
IG peeps… if I missed you, leave your handle in the comments and I will add it! THANK YOU for sharing this info!
ww + racist ambassador(s)
As far as we can tell, thanks to elizabetheatingweeklies and other accounts sharing the stories, ww hired an ambassador who was involved with some racist people – most notably, her boyfriend. He posted about being anti-choice, mocked the #metoo movement, is very anti-Black Lives Matter.
There was some uproar about this, which of course was quickly covered up, and ww said nothing about it. If Weight Watchers had taken a stand and said “we don't tolerate racism”, got rid of the ambassador (who others have said *is* racist but I didn't see any proof of that so I won't say that for sure), etc then it wouldn't have been an issue. We all make mistakes so if ww accidentally hired a racist ambassador, they would have stood up and said something about it. At least, that's how I see it.
WW was called out about it so they did remove the ambassador, but they didn't make a statement. Silence is violence.
American Dream Nut Butter + Racism: the facts
We don't like to share things unless we know they're accurate, so we've done some digging to make sure the rumors were true before sharing it. These are the facts we know so far:
Screenshots were shared of ADNB company's owner wearing a MAGA hat, on his company page. Because of the backlash, he deleted it. Their other company is American Mayhem, which is worth noting! Also worth noting, this isn't a post about politics – his making fun of “Black lives matter” with “Jacked lives matter” is context.
Then, more screenshots were discovered from his personal Instagram. The account has now gone private, and the name has been changed, so we can't find the account anymore but there are screenshots proving there were SEVERAL problematic posts. His defense? “This is my personal account.” Go through the IG highlights from the creators above and you will see the receipts.
The problem? ww has promoted them – AFTER the information about them being racist went public. While they did a good job hiding the info, we have no doubt Weight Watchers was aware. Since being called out on promoting ADNB, they deleted the products from their page… but again, have said nothing.
Oprah and ww
I didn't think I'd have to cover this, but I've seen several comments today surrounding the issue where people were saying, “but what about Oprah? She owns part of ww, they can't be racist”. I'm not even going to address how absurd that is, but I'll give you this:
Perry’s reflective and encouraging letter brought up many important points not just about Oprah Winfrey’s achievements, but also on the state of Black women in America and the pressure to achieve in all aspects of our lives: academically, professionally, and physically. We strive to measure up in a system rigged to favor whiteness. Despite the obstacles, Black women are defying odds; Oprah Winfrey is only one example of this phenomenon. For example, half of all black women ages 18-24 are pursuing higher education and are beating all other racial and gender groups when it comes to college enrollment. However, despite these impressive statistics, it’s still an uphill battle. For example, many sources quote the wage gap between men and women (22 percent to be exact), but when the data are stratified, we find that Black women make 64 cents to every white man’s dollar. (Source)
What can we do?
Stand up. Say something. If you feel led, leave Weight Watchers. Tell your friends so they can do the same. Silence is compliance. Silence is violence. We have to stand up! We cannot accept racism in any way, shape, or form.
Action. Racism must be fought. Using every vote, influence, platform, network and audience that you have. Publicly and privately. No one in your circle should feel comfortable espousing racist views around you. Because they know you will call them out. (Source)
We know you still need to stay on track with healthy living and weight loss, which is why we highly suggest switching to iTrackBites. It's a very similar program, with Bites instead of Points, it's only $30 a year (less if you use my code!!), and the owner (Shaun) has made it VERY clear he will not tolerate racism in his company, in the groups associated with his company, and especially among coaches.
Here at Smiley's Points, we feel the same way. We must stand together to end systemic racism, and it starts with each of us as individuals. We are distancing ourselves from WW and will be transitioning to Healthi formerly iTrackbites completely. We encourage you to do the same.
Echoing what Elizabeth said in her highlights:
We need to listen to Black and Brown people, and trust them. Period.
Take a stand with me.
I am upset about your tolerism of Black Lives Matter. All lives matter to me. They are npt a great organization. Yes I voted for Trump. Therefore I distance myself from you. Keep your politics to yourself when running a business. I would like my money refunded.
Your money refunded from what, Mary?
You talk about so much racism but notice you never consider or discuss reverse racism! If you have ever experienced it, you might not be so lopsided in your remarks
Please explain to me what reverse racism is.
all lives CAN’T matter until Black Lives Matter, Mary. And why does who you voted for matter here? Its not about politics, t’s a human rights issue.
I 100% agree with you Brittani
All lives can’t matter until Black Lives Matter, Mary. You continue to side with the oppressor and do so willfully. If it were me, I wouldn’t refund your imaginary money and keep it to donate as a small pittance of the pain and suffering you’ve inflicted on those who don’t share your abhorrent beliefs. Namaste
If your meal didn’t arrive at a restaurant and everyone else’s did, you’d just complain to the waiter that you didn’t get your food. That’s not the same as saying no one else’s food is important. It’s such a weird thing to pick up on if you’re not racist that it makes you look like you are.
I am waiting for a reply.
I do not support BLM and want a refund from you.
Please forward bank statements showing how much you have paid me. Thanks.
Many good things have been ruined because of intolerance. It is my opinion that politics should not have a place in one’s journey to wellness. I choose to control those things that are within my power to do so. Each one of us has the right to choose our own path and it’s a shame that some people react so negatively to another’s opinion that they do not share. May we all find peace and success in our weight loss plan.
Phyllis, we aren’t involved in politics. Saying that Black lives matter is not political. 🙂
Black Lives Matter is definitely a political agenda from the left. The left has always wanted to divide white from blacks to create chaos and destruction to our country. People don’t know the definition of “racist” anymore. Everyone is apparently racist.
Black Lives Matter is a worldwide movement. The organization (which I have stated that I do not personally support) has moved to attempt to enter into the political arena. I do not discount what they have done or what they are planning to do.
I know, from personal experiences, what I have had to endure, and the trials and tribulations I have had to overcome to attempt to be successful in America.
I truly want to keep politics out of this blog. I truly want this to be a platform that helps people to lose weight and achieve their goals.
On that note I digress and would love to continue this conversation at Just-Resist As long as you keep an open mind and do not spout racist statements I will attempt to have an intelligent conversation with you and anyone who would like to comment. I have an open mind and welcome discussions on Race and politics over there, this is not the forum or the space for such conversations.
I do not believe everyone is racist
Well said Black Lives is not political.
I just want to know if Mary Smith ever got her refund for her imaginary money 😂
Thank you for this post. It is important to me to speak with my wallet, and I will be taking my money to an organization other than WW.
Hi, I really appreciate this article. I did notice that in your Instagram link bio, you have a coupon for Built Bar. Not sure if you’re familiar with the extremely racist issues with Built Bar, but I would recommend doing the research and removing that link.
Megan, I appreciate your comment, but without any info on that claim, I’m not sure what you want me to do.
You are a huge proponent for white guilt. It’s really unbelievable. Tons of BIPOC have expressed that our generation of white people are not in any way, shape or form the cause of slavery, segregation, etc. My family was in Europe until the 1970s. They did not contribute to the racist ideals in America. In fact, my mother’s family contributed to the BIPOC charities even back in the 1950s/60s. Do not lump every white person into one category. And if supporting Trump is your trigger, I’ll gladly tell you that my husbands entire Hispanic/Latinx family voted for him. What say you to that? Believe me, I was shocked.
Racism shouldn’t be tolerated, but supporting a candidate doesn’t make you immediately racist. Cancel culture needs to be cancelled. It’s a stain on our society. You can go ahead and cancel WW, they don’t feel it a bit – no big corporation ever does. The loss of your $20 and support won’t bother them at all because they have millions of subscribers throughout the world. So you can be angry, you can be triggered by everything, but please realize that even if you donate to BLM organizations, all your money goes to the founders of the company and not to the actual community.
Why not try to go into the communities and help there? I’ve done my fair share doing that and it’s rewarding and actually helpful! I hope all this didn’t fall on deaf ears. I hope you have an amazing day!
Let’s start with you saying I am a huge proponent for white guilt. I am not. Nowhere in the post did I discuss or bring up the subject of “white guilt” If you are feeling guilty then that is your right and your issue and something you have to face, overcome or deal with. I reread the post to make sure that what I wanted to say and the message I wanted to convey was stated without showing bias to any one group.
Your next statement says that “it” is really unbelievable. What is “it”? Is it unbelievable that I as a black man living in America would stand up and say that my life matters as much as the next man’s? Really is that unbelievable?
You state that tons of BIPOC people have expressed… what tons are you referring to? Regardless of what you have heard others say, I did not place blame on anyone in my post. I also did not single you out specifically (you begin telling me about your family’s history and what they have done) unless you are a racist! I also did not lump all white people into a category, unless you are a racist. I don’t lump all of any one race, culture, religion, etc. into a category. We are all individual people with individual experiences and histories. To lump all of anyone into a category would be to exacerbate the problem. I stand for equality for all. But I know from experience that my life does not seem to matter as much as white persons and definitely now white males. This is not a debate I can have unless you are willing to listen to my life experiences and you would have to be willing to listen with open ears. Most people cannot do that, most listen until they hear something they don’t agree with and then chime in with a rebuttal. Listen to what black and brown people have to say about their personal experiences living life here in America.
Trump was mentioned because the owner of the nut butter company was wearing his MAGA hat and wearing a shirt that mocked Black Lives Matter. Nothing in the post was stated for or against President Trump. I also did not state for whom I voted for nor did I ask who your family voted for. This is not a political issue and this was not a politically charged post. I do not write about politics on my blog. BLM the movement, not the organization is something you should not be afraid to say. I also do not need someone to use their Black or Brown family members as a shield. I do not care who your family or anyone voted for truthfully. I care that I was able to use my right as an American citizen to vote. I care that you and your family were able to use their voice and vote for whom they thought was the best candidate. Again this is not a political blog nor a political issue. The only reason I am writing about it here is to answer the questions that were being brought to me about the racism issue within ww.
On this note if you support a racist you are a racist there are no two ways about that.
Your next statement is the one that bothers me as a black man living in America. You state that racism should not be tolerated but then you go on in the next sentence to comment on the cancel culture. I believe that Racism needs to be canceled. I think Racism is a stain on our society! I think you should reevaluate what is important to you. I know that my life and being able to help others is what is important to me.
I have no problem putting my money where my mouth is. I have canceled my membership to ww. Those who will no longer tolerate racism or those who will not stand against it will also show the strength of their character by not supporting a business that does support racism or will not speak out against it. I have drawn a line in the sand. I will not support anyone who believes I as a black man do not deserve the same rights as others who live in this here United States of America. I am a veteran, a husband, a father, a writer. I absolutely love to help people regardless of their background, race, religion, sexual preference. None of that matters to me. What matters is that I can help other human beings become better, healthier, stronger, and love the person they are. If you can not stand with me you can feel free to stand on the other side of that line.
As far as the loss not affecting ww. I know where I stand as a person I know what I stand for and what I will not be associated with. I will not be associated with racism in any way shape or form. IF you decide that you will still support ww after they have not only hired a racist but not made a statement against racism. Please show your support by staying with them and not here with me and my followers. BTW you are here in the largest non-spammy Weight Watchers FB group on the net. Don’t believe me? check the facts for yourself. We are a community that strives on supporting each other through the hard times and praising each other for our successes. If you no longer want to be apart of this group that is ok also. Believe me, I won’t miss you.
Before you start asking me questions like why don’t I go into my community and help there? Ask me what I have done for my community. By the way, you and the rest of the people reading this are my community just like the community where I live. I have a giveaway I am doing just for commenting on a post. I post great tasting recipes and fantastic advice that people need or want at the time they read it. I offer my community a place to come and get questions answered, a place to feel safe asking questions, a place to vent, a place not to be judged. I also build bikes for kids and give them away so that I can give back to my community. I made ear savers on my Glowforge so healthcare workers who have to wear masks all day wouldn’t go home with sore ears. I have done so much more than these little things I have mentioned here. I enjoy serving others, I enjoy giving back even when the recipient doesn’t know it was me. Christmas gifts from a real Santa anyone? I have left gifts on porches so kids could have a Christmas and the parents wouldn’t have to be as burdened financially. There are more stories I could tell you about what I have done. But why? You don’t want to know that you want to think that I am a person behind a computer screen who types all day and doesn’t actually do anything productive. This is what it means when you assume that I have not done anything and make statements like why don’t you…? I didn’t ask you or anyone if they had done their fair share. What is that anyway? What is your fair share? Your fair share of what? I am still a victim of racism, I am still looked at as an afterthought. So you share the sentiment of Black Lives Matter? Do you go out of your way to ensure that others know where you stand? I think by writing this to me you have also drawn your line in the sand and we are on opposite sides. I truly hope this does not fall on deaf ears. I truly hope you can see that silence is violence.
Thank you for your comment.
Let me tell you what burns me allll the way up. The sob story. Congratulations that YOUR family specifically didn’t cause racism in America. That’s like saying, “well MY family specifically didn’t own slaves.” I’m sorry your family was too poor to own slaves, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t racist. White guilt doesn’t exist and that’s the plain facts coming from a black woman. In this country poc as a whole are held responsible for the actions of one. For example, Arab people are constantly considered terrorists or how black people get labeled constantly. The white community has a history of labeling everything and everyone and society rolls with it, but as soon as the tables turn it’s a problem. I’m a black woman marrying into a family that voted for Trump. Does that make them racist, no. But it does make them complicit to the problem. I’m happy that you’re doing your part but I’m also not going to clap for you for having basic morals. Not all white people are racist or bad, but I will say the bar is on the floor. It’s not just about police brutality either, it’s everyday issues that black and other POC get silenced for. Wake up sis 🙄
*standing ovation*
Agree with this commenter. Being a trump supporter or republican does not make you racist. Not supporting BLM because that money went straight to a candidate you oppose does not make you racist. I don’t agree with the organization BLM but I obviously agree that black lives and all lives matter. All lives can’t matter until black, brown, native lives are included in that. Cancel culture is a disease. I’m buying from ADND today. And I won’t “believe” anyone based on their skin color alone. I believe people based on their character and my past experiences with them.
Kevin,
Please publish my earlier reply to you. As I stated before, I was not referring to you or BLM as being political. You have left the readers with a totally inaccurate impression of my coment. I am sorry you misunderstood me. Please make it right.
Hi, Phyllis. All of your comments have been approved, I’m not sure what you mean.
When I posted my last 2 comments, you had not yet approved themfor publication. Why are you saying that you don’t know what I mean? It is your delay in publishing comments that have caused tbhis confusion.
Phyllis, I still don’t see the other comment(s) you’re talking about. Sorry. Hope you have a great day.
Did Mary Smith get her money back? She wants it.
LOL She disappeared after she saw my comment asking about where she paid me (nobody pays me for anything LOL)… guess she realized her error.
Hi! I want to thank you for this post and your stance! I am erinswellnessjourney f/k/a ww.erin and have now added a highlight of expired stories drawing attention to ADNB and WW’s racism. ♥️
Thank you so much for continuing to share. It seems they’re still sweeping it under the rug and people are forgetting about it… ALREADY. This is a huge problem. 🙁 I’m going to keep sharing your stuff! And I updated your handle in the post.
Thank you!! ♥️♥️ I will continue speaking out and am very glad to have learned of this safe space. Appreciate what you’re doing!
Hi Kevin, I’m a 1st time visitor (coming from a Reddit post) and I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the lengths you’ve gone to to do the research and then to share it with everyone. I am appalled by the ignorance of some of the commenters and sorry that they chose to leave those messages.
BLM is of the utmost importance and is not a political movement. It’s just a fact – black lives matter. It is baffling to me how some people feel that discussing it should not be a part of their “wellness journeys” etc. Feeling like others feel your life matters less must impact a BIPOC’s “wellness journey”…
I am very disappointed in WW. I’m from Canada and we don’t seem to have the same number of ambassadors etc but I will be cancelling my membership regardless.
Thanks again for taking the time to post and enlightening us all.
Thank you so much!
Where did you get your facts, ADNB owners are racist? Support to a political party does not make you a racist. They are far from being racist. You said you did some digging. The shirt Jacked life matters is a t shirt that was made for a body build competition and no way mocking BLM. You sir have no facts and are nothing to do but destroy a hard working couples reputation. Next time instead of finding pictures and publish bullcrap, know the facts.
They have repeatedly made remarks making fun of BLM – that is well known. The facts were published.
No they don’t. Where is the proof. The jacked live matters t shirt is for a body building team they made. Show me proof they mocked BLM. A t- shirt they made. They have donated money to BLM. A shirt and Trump hat makes them racist. Maybe it’s you trying to destroy innocent peoples lives cause you have nothing better to do. Show facts not a trump hat and a t-shirt.
Back up your claim of repeatedly mocking BLM. You have known.
Show me where they’ve donated to BLM, Dan. I’m interested to see this.
I dont think supporting Trump is supporting racism. The left tries to divide us, some people vote trump because of fiscal responsibility or because they don’t support abortion. Equating trump with racism isn’t fair either. What racist thing did trump do? When? Anyone can call each other names but what what did he say or do that deserves it?
Supporting a racist isn’t racist? I beg to differ but I will let that be. This is a post about what is going on within WW, not about Trump or his racist ways
I do not side with the left or the right. I did not write this article to support or defend anyone.
I wrote this to say that I no longer support an organization (Weight Watchers) that refuses to take a stand against racism.
I am not one to name call or point fingers unless I have done my research. We all have access to the internet and the ability to research and come to our own conclusions. I welcome debate but I do not ever welcome racism or racist comments. I also will not support a company that will not take a stand against racism.
You state that equating Trump with racism is not fair. I say do your homework before commenting here. I did mine, research for yourself the racist remarks he has uttered from his lips in the past. Beginning around 1970 thorough 2020 here is an article (one of many from many different sources) that lists his racist ways from 1970-2020.You can argue that the media is skewed and I would agree.
But when you listen to what the man has said from his own mouth in his own words. He speaks for himself!
I only list these examples because you asked what he has said or done that makes him as a person a racist.
This is not the forum for these discussions and I would love to continue this over on my other page at
Just-resist.com
Thank you for your comment and I look forward to having an intelligent conversation in the future.
This is the first post I’ve ever read over here. I was just Googling to find out why everyone was up in arms about ww being racist. You provided a satisfactory answer for me. You appear to intelligent, logical, and fair.
I’m still reeling at some of the comments and the inability to grasp that basic human rights are not political, or at least shouldn’t be political. I wish I could sit and have a conversation with you. I just don’t have the attention span to type out everything I want to say. I want you to know that I do see the differences you experience. I could say all the same things about who I voted for or what my family is like, but that doesn’t acknowledge you. It just tries to validate me.
One time, when the black lives matter protests were going on in my city, I watched my whiter-than- wonder-bread son climb into a car with 2 POC. I know and like these boys so it had nothing to do with them personally but I remember having fear in my heart for him to go out there because of all the tension in Los Angeles at the time. And I thought, oh my gosh, this must be what every black woman feels when her child leaves the house. I had never experienced it before. I guess that’s my white privilege. I never had to feel it before. There’s not much I can say about this except I see you. BLM (the movement) has always had my support. It’s not hard to grasp that “all lives” can’t matter until black lives matter. There’s enough! There’s abundance! We don’t have to pick and choose who gets a piece of the pie.
I’d like to say I always felt like this, but being raised in a white neighborhood in the 60’s I did grow up with a lack of understanding. Thank goodness I wasn’t taught to hate, but I wasn’t really taught how to be inclusive. I had to learn that from learned experiences and patient people. I had a roommate once tell me that I was the least racist person she knew. My reaction was, OMG, I hope not! We can always do better! Anyway, the point is, despite the pushback and disappointment that you must feel, I wanted to encourage you that you are on the right track. Speak the truth with kindness. That’s the only way that society learns. There IS hope!
Anytime you would like to talk I am available. I appreciate your letter and the time you took to type this out. I know it is hard for some to put their feelings and thoughts into words. I have a blog that touches more on the experiences I and others have to endure, It is more on the nose and may not be as kind at times as I do write from my heart and what I am thinking at the time if you would like to read more. I welcome your comments and perspective. That blog is in its infancy as I have really just started writing the things I want to include on it. Thank you again for reaching out I know it can be hard, even if you are a supporter of the movement, to lend your voice and action to the cause. You are one of the reasons why I write. Thank you so much for writing this you have no idea what it means to me that there are people out there who are not experiencing the daily fears we are but are still willing to speak out even if it is just on my little weight loss blog 🙂