Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels, yes, the one known for push-ups and protein shakes, not primary sources, recently took to CNN to downplay the role of slavery in U.S. history. Sitting across from host Abby Phillip, Michaels insisted that “less than 2% of white Americans owned slaves,” arguing we are exaggerating slavery’s significance.

Let’s pause there. This is a classic deflection tactic. Technically, by 1860 about 8% of white Americans directly enslaved people. But focusing on that percentage erases the reality: slavery wasn’t a side hustle for a tiny elite, it was the backbone of America’s economy. Cotton, sugar, rice, and tobacco industries fueled not only Southern wealth but also Northern banks, shipping companies, insurers, and factories. The U.S. government itself depended on this system. It was all interconnected!

Even if someone’s ancestor never personally owned enslaved people, they likely still benefited from the system, through wages tied to the cotton trade, access to land, or political systems built on white supremacy.

Meanwhile, generations of Black Americans were denied wages, property, and equal protection under the law. That’s not a “small percentage problem.” That’s systemic.

Here’s how People magazine described the moment:

Jillian Michaels “defended Donald Trump and white people during a heated debate about slavery,” telling Abby Phillip that less than 2% of whites owned slaves, prompting visible shock on the panel. (People)

And The Daily Beast reported:

CNN’s Abby Phillip appeared stunned after Michaels’ “small percentage” comment, with others on the panel noting how dismissive it sounded of slavery’s scope and legacy. (The Daily Beast)

So let’s be clear: Jillian Michaels may know her way around a kettlebell (although her Biggest Loser show has since been criticized), but she’s no historian. Slavery was not some niche practice, it was America’s economic engine. To reduce it to a percentage is not just wrong, it’s dangerous. It erases the very system that shaped this country and continues to shape inequality today.

Slavery wasn’t just a few bad apples. It was the entire orchard.

Get full access to Yo, Miss! at saribethrosenberg.substack.com/subscribe