Water enthusiasts of color share swimming skills: "Every American deserves the chance to bond with water, regardless of barriers"
In the United States, the history of racial segregation in swimming has left a lasting impact on Black Americans' access to public pools, contributing to disparities in swimming ability and drowning rates today.
This segregation, which began in the early 1900s and persisted through segregation laws, saw many public swimming pools closed to Black swimmers or racially segregated. Racial tensions and even riots arose at integrated pools, a pattern that was not limited to the South. After the 1973 Supreme Court ruling against race-based pool exclusion, legal segregation ended, but many public pools closed, and private pools became the norm, limiting access for many Black families due to economic barriers.
As a result, Black children and adults had far fewer opportunities for swimming lessons and practice. Research finds that approximately 64% of Black children have little or no swimming ability. Black people under 30 are about 1.5 times more likely to drown than their White peers, with Black children aged 10-14 being 7.6 times more likely to drown in pools compared to White children, according to CDC data.
These historical inequities are reflected in modern statistics. Lack of swimming skills, limited swim training during childhood, and fewer lifeguards at pools commonly accessed by Black families all contribute to the higher drowning rates. The disparity is understood to be rooted in social and cultural factors linked to this history of exclusion and ongoing economic inequality rather than physiological differences.
Efforts by Black swim advocates and community leaders today aim to address this "deadly legacy" by promoting swimming education and access to aquatic resources in Black communities. One such organisation is Black People Will Swim, founded by Paulana Lamonier in 2020 to help students like Tameka Bostick.
Bostick, a 42-year-old woman from New York City, grew up in housing projects with limited access to pools in the community. She didn't have a chance to learn how to swim. However, Bostick's daughter encouraged her to learn to swim as an adult and signed her up for Black People Will Swim classes.
Bostick finds learning to swim, breathe, and use water safety skills to be "very humbling." She is grateful she took the time to learn to swim as an adult and wishes she had learned earlier. Bostick was able to use the skills learned in the classes to keep an eye on others while swimming on the Fourth of July, feeling like a "superstar!"
Lamonier's goal of making swimming more accessible for Black people has been rooted in a history of segregation and lack of equity in aquatic spaces. Outdoor Afro, one of Black People Will Swim's partner organizations, has provided over 3,000 "swimmerships" to swimmers in the Black and Brown communities through its "Making Waves" program.
Dr. Samuel Myers, Jr., a professor and director at the Roy Wilkins Center for Human Relations and Social Justice at the University of Minnesota, has researched racial disparities in swimming. Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro, was motivated to act due to the high rates of drowning among Black people and the lack of access to swimming lessons.
Lamonier aims to create a ripple effect of more Black swim instructors and lifeguards by teaching more Black people to swim. This will help ensure that future generations have the skills and resources they need to stay safe in the water.
References:
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Nonfatal Drowning Data. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/water-safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html
[2] USA Swimming. (2021). The State of African American Swimming. Retrieved from https://www.usaswimming.org/content/state-african-american-swimming
- The historical segregation of swimming pools in the United States has left indelible marks on Black Americans' swimming abilities and drowning rates.
- Racially segregated public pools were common during the early 1900s, persisting until segregation laws were enacted.
- Integrated pools faced tension and even riots in various regions, not just in the South.
- After the 1973 Supreme Court ruling, legal segregation ended, but many public pools closed, and private pools became the norm, limiting access for many Black families.
- Economic barriers prevented many Black families from gaining access to private pools.
- Black children and adults were deprived of opportunities to learn swimming and practice due to this limited access.
- Research suggests that approximately 64% of Black children have little to no swimming ability.
- Black individuals under 30 are 1.5 times more likely to drown than their White counterparts.
- Black children aged 10-14 are 7.6 times more likely to drown in pools compared to White children.
- These historical disparities persist in modern times.
- Lack of swimming skills, limited swim training during childhood, and fewer lifeguards in pools commonly used by Black families contribute to the higher drowning rates.
- The disparity is linked to social and cultural factors stemming from this history of exclusion and ongoing economic inequality rather than physiological differences.
- The efforts of Black swim advocates and community leaders aim to address the "deadly legacy" by promoting swimming education and access to aquatic resources in Black communities.
- Black People Will Swim, founded by Paulana Lamonier in 2020, provides swimming classes to promote aquatic skills in Black communities.
- Tameka Bostick, a 42-year-old woman from New York City, grew up without access to swimming lessons due to the lack of pools in her community.
- Bostick's daughter encouraged her to learn to swim as an adult and signed her up for Black People Will Swim classes.
- Learning to swim was a "very humbling" experience for Bostick.
- Bostick feels grateful for learning to swim as an adult and wishes she had done so earlier.
- Bostick uses the skills she learned in the classes to monitor others while swimming.
- Paulana Lamonier aims to create a ripple effect of more Black swim instructors and lifeguards through teaching more Black people to swim.
- Outdoor Afro, a partner organization of Black People Will Swim, provides "swimmerships" to swimmers in Black and Brown communities through its "Making Waves" program.
- Dr. Samuel Myers, Jr., a professor at the University of Minnesota, has researched racial disparities in swimming.
- Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro, was motivated to act due to the high rates of drowning among Black people and the lack of access to swimming lessons.
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- The history of racial segregation in swimming is a reminder of the ongoing need to address social inequality and promote equity in all areas, including health and wellness.
