Jillian Michaels Discusses Raising Kids of Different Races
In a recent interview, fitness expert Jillian Michaels delved into the challenges of parenting children of different racial backgrounds. She highlighted the experiences of her white son and black daughter amid today’s divisive environment.
The interview, which aired Thursday on The Hill’s “Raising America” podcast, revealed Michaels’ worries about the increasing tribalism in the U.S. and a troubling trend of Confederate names being reinstated in schools and public spaces.
“I have a white son and a black daughter. She’s getting acknowledgment in school, almost like a rock star, which is great. Yet, we’re also seeing high schools in the Midwest naming themselves after Robert E. Lee,” Michaels noted, referencing the Confederate general from the Civil War.
“This is concerning to me; I really don’t like it at all,” she added.
Michaels voiced specific concerns about her son, particularly when he often hears that he represents a problem due to the actions of others. “People say to him, ‘You guys are the problem,’ and that can really affect kids. They pay attention to politics, especially on platforms like YouTube,” she remarked, mentioning conservative figure Charlie Kirk.
“Charlie Kirk resonates with kids not because he’s bad, but because he knows how to connect with them—on TikTok, YouTube, all of it,” she explained.
“When young people are exposed to messages that generalize them as negative, they tend to become more tribal, which is troubling,” she said.
Michaels expressed profound worries about the increase in political violence and how it leads to the alienation and dehumanization of people with differing views.
She attributed the rise in racism to what she considers “woke culture,” suggesting that statements framing whiteness as problematic could foster a new generation of racists. “Honestly, I see racism increasing, and while some point fingers at Trump, I think it’s more about how kids feel suffocated by the narrative that their skin color is a downside,” she said.
“This isn’t about centering white feelings in the conversation,” she continued. “The reality that we might be raising the next generation of racists with these narratives is frightening, and we need to reconsider how this rhetoric affects our children.”
