An Apple Watch fitness challenge is being called insensitive on TikTok and Twitter after prompting wearers to celebrate Black History Month by working out for seven days in a row in February.
In a TikTok posted on Monday by Tamika (@prettycritical), she showed a notification she received on her Apple Watch about a “Unity Challenge.”
“Let’s come together to honor Black History,” the notification reads. “Earn this Unity award by closing your Move ring for seven days in a row during February.”
In the video, Tamika says that the notification is “unbelievable and unacceptable… especially in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ murder.”
Last Friday, Memphis, Tennessee police released bodycam footage of five Memphis police officers beating Tyre Nichols, a Black man, on Jan. 7. Nichols died as a result of his injuries days later.
“The one thing that Apple has to say about honoring Black people and Black history is ‘use our product!’ ‘Maybe lose a little weight!’” Tamika says in her TikTok, which on Monday had over 13,000 views.
@prettycritical wtf apple? #apple #tech #blackhistorymonth #applewatch ♬ original sound – prettycritical
Commenters on Tamika’s video said that the Unity challenge was “cringe” and agreed that Apple fell short regarding acknowledging Black History Month.
“There’s so many other things they could’ve [done] with their platform to support the Black community + Black creators,” @gracelovesblowlin wrote.
“Tell me you have no Black Americans in your marketing dept.,” @primmreaper commented.
“Lose weight to end racism was not an approach I thought I’d ever hear,” @ravencxxvii wrote.
People on Twitter felt the same. Carissa Marchetti (@carissa_a) tweeted at Apple, saying she too received the notification, and asked, “this is your idea of showing unity?”
“I’d love to be a fly on the wall during the board meeting regarding creative ways to contribute to Black History Month and hearing this suggestion,” Marchetti tweeted. “Honestly pretty gross.”
Another Twitter user, Jason Cox, poked fun at how capitalism has infiltrated Black History Month, tweeting a photo of the notification on his Apple Watch with the caption “RIP martin luther King Jr. You would have loved the @Apple watch activity goal challenge for unity.”
Apple did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment.
