Swimming In The Black Community: How Racism Is Drowning Us

[IslandMummy]

I can swim, DH cannot which still baffles me. He won't take lessons either. DS can swim the length of the pool without a life jacket and he'll be in lessons again this summer.

DD, we are working on it, she is scared and I'm not pushing her past her comfort level.

 

[IronButterfly]

Blacks who can't swim in 2017 don't want to learn. My 7 yr old has been in private swim class on and off for a year. After a few brief lessons in childhood, I ended up teaching myself how to swim. The past has no relevance on today and ppl need to stop using it as a crutch.

 

[SmileyNY]

I went to a predominately minority high school and we had to pass swim class in order to graduate. Our school had an olympic-sized indoor pool. I didn't love that my swim class was in the winter time, first period, and I had to walk around all day with wet box braids all day .... but I am glad that my school had this amenity/requirement. I think all schools should.

 

[DeepBluSea]

My sister is the only person that I knew growing up that did not know how to swim. My brothers and I have known how to swim since age 4. There was nothing else to do in my hood growing up but swim. I swam everyday all day long except when it was thundering and lighting. We even climbed the fence at night and swam. All of our kids/grandkids including my sisters how to swim. We were project kids with a pool right around the corner. No one taught us, we were thrown in and had to figure it out. I lived in an all black neighborhood.

Unfortunately Cities got rid of community pools. The kids need something to do over the summer. The adults need to give the kids safe spaces-free of violence,drugs, and sexual intimidation.

I work in an inner city. Cost is a factor for a lot of parents. They don't know how to swim. They don't know anyone who knows how to swim. Lessons at the Y can get expensive for people on a budget or with more than 1 kid.

Off topic: in general a lot of activities that we took part in as youngsters are so much more expensive. I understand things will go up in price over the years. But I know people who spent $1000 for high school sports

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

Blacks who can't swim in 2017 don't want to learn. My 7 yr old has been in private swim class on and off for a year. After a few brief lessons in childhood, I ended up teaching myself how to swim. The past has no relevance on today and ppl need to stop using it as a crutch.

But it's still very much a present situation, tho perhaps not for the same reasons.

There are still areas where people live below the poverty line and have no acesss to pools and lessons.

If you have 4 kids and they each need swim lessons, that's a lot of money especially when money is tight already.

Or if you live an hour from the nearest public pool and have no transportation, what are your options?

There are definitely some people who just choose not to swim out of fear or stigma, but for many, swimming is a luxury.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

Unfortunately Cities got rid of community pools. The kids need something to do over the summer. The adults need to give the kids safe spaces-free of violence,drugs, and sexual intimidation.

I work in an inner city. Cost is a factor for a lot of parents. They don't know how to swim. They don't know anyone who knows how to swim. Lessons at the Y can get expensive for people on a budget or with more than 1 kid.

Off topic: in general a lot of activities that we took part in as youngsters are so much more expensive. I understand things will go up in price over the years. But I know people who spent $1000 for high school sports

I think the Y has gotten shameful with their swim lesson prices when they are supposed to be a community resource.

 

[FlowerHair]

That's amazing. Is swimming part of daily classes?

No they only have them only periodically, but I think most parents here make sure their kids can swim at an early age.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

I can swim, DH cannot which still baffles me. He won't take lessons either. DS can swim the length of the pool without a life jacket and he'll be in lessons again this summer.

DD, we are working on it, she is scared and I'm not pushing her past her comfort level.

My little one is scared. He's slowly improving DH is trying to get him swimming by the end of the summer

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

I like the concept of those specialized swimming classes for drowning prevention in toddlers. I forget the exact name of it but by the end of these specific lessons they are able to swim and be able to float wearing their clothes, shoes, and diaper. Its so freaking cool, adorbs, and fascinating at the same time.

I learned to swim when i was 3 thanks to my stepmother.

My bother is 26 cant swim. mom also can't swim.

I know what you're talking about. That's amazing how those babies handle falling in water in all their clothes.

 

[Chromia]

When I was 10 years old I took swimming lessons at the Y. Then I took another round of lessons a short time later.

Even after the lessons I wasn't able to swim. Maybe I would have done better with one-on-one lessons.

I think there just wasn't enough time for the instructor to make sure every single kid in the class could swim, especially an uncoordinated unathletic kid like me.

 

[IslandMummy]

Blacks who can't swim in 2017 don't want to learn. My 7 yr old has been in private swim class on and off for a year. After a few brief lessons in childhood, I ended up teaching myself how to swim. The past has no relevance on today and ppl need to stop using it as a crutch.

These handfeet are an abomination.

 

[IronButterfly]

These handfeet are an abomination.

They're great for swimming though!

 

[MzRhonda]

I think the Y has gotten shameful with their swim lesson prices when they are supposed to be a community resource.

their prices in general and to join is shameful.

 

[dancinstallion]

When I was 10 years old I took swimming lessons at the Y. Then I took another round of lessons a short time later.

Even after the lessons I wasn't able to swim. Maybe I would have done better with one-on-one lessons.

I think there just wasn't enough time for the instructor to make sure every single kid in the class could swim, especially an uncoordinated unathletic kid like me.

My 11 yr old ds is uncordinated, heavy, tall, and scared of the water. He is definitely going to need more lessons than dd and it is going to be expensive. I need to find a pool so he can practice daily but our community center pool is small and full of kids.

 

[IronButterfly]

I think the Y has gotten shameful with their swim lesson prices when they are supposed to be a community resource.

You ain't never lied! When I was a kid swim lessons were free (or really really cheap) for low income at the Y. I pay $140/7 lessons....for my son and that's after the discount. But I tell you, I see lots of low income ppl shelling out money for cable (which ain't cheap), cellphones with cameras (not cheap), weaves and extensions and nails (not cheap). It's all about prioritizing.

 

[HappilyLiberal]

I think the Y has gotten shameful with their swim lesson prices when they are supposed to be a community resource.

Like most community resources, their budgets have been slashed year after year so they have to make up the costs.

 

[dancinstallion]

I think the Y has gotten shameful with their swim lesson prices when they are supposed to be a community resource.

their prices in general and to join is shameful.

I signed up a few years ago and kept thinking how expensive it was. I kept saying I thought the Y was supposed to be cheap. Even with the discount they gave me the prices still seemed ridiculous.

 

[IronButterfly]

But it's still very much a present situation, tho perhaps not for the same reasons.

There are still areas where people live below the poverty line and have no acesss to pools and lessons.

If you have 4 kids and they each need swim lessons, that's a lot of money especially when money is tight already.

Or if you live an hour from the nearest public pool and have no transportation, what are your options?

There are definitely some people who just choose not to swim out of fear or stigma, but for many, swimming is a luxury.

I know what you're saying, but poor ppl stay affording cable. They stay affording the latest cellphones and video game consoles. PPl don't prioritize and don't want to sacrifice. So to answer your questions:
You have 4 kids, then each year a different kid takes swim lessons enough to try swimming on their own.
You live an hour away from the nearest pool? Catch a bus. Unless you live out in rural country, there's usually a bus somewhere. Or round up a carpool in your neighborhood or hook your kid up with some classmates. These options aren't just accessible to soccer moms in the 'burbs.
Tennis was a luxury, yet the Williams sisters prevailed.

Yes, there are times when things are just too impossible...BUT those who want it bad enough find a way.

 

[IronButterfly]

Like most community resources, their budgets have been slashed year after year so they have to make up the costs.

I hadn't thought about that. Good point.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

I know what you're saying, but poor ppl stay affording cable. They stay affording the latest cellphones and video game consoles. PPl don't prioritize and don't want to sacrifice. So to answer your questions:
You have 4 kids, then each year a different kid takes swim lessons enough to try swimming on their own.
You live an hour away from the nearest pool? Catch a bus. Unless you live out in rural country, there's usually a bus somewhere. Or round up a carpool in your neighborhood or hook your kid up with some classmates. These options aren't just accessible to soccer moms in the 'burbs.
Tennis was a luxury, yet the Williams sisters prevailed.

Yes, there are times when things are just too impossible...BUT those who want it bad enough find a way.

Ok, so let's say you have a poor rural family and they have an extra 200-300 bucks to spend on entertainment or whatever for the kids. They could use that to send one kid to swim classes, while also paying for (1) transportation to and from the pool (that transportation will include the other kids that they might need to bring along) and (2) swimming apparel. They also possibly miss some work to get their kid to the lesson.

Now they have to do this everyday for 1 or 2 weeks because swim lessons are generally done like that. Swim lessons are over. The kid might can swim and might can't, depending on the child. Meanwhile, the other children have been stagnant. And that money is gone to an activity that the child most likely won't do again for a long time because of the lack of access to a pool or other water.

Most parents would probably think to put that money to use for something that benefits the entire family instead of just one kid. In that situation, buying the kids iPads or a game console would seem to make more sense: it's something they can use all the time, something that will keep them busy while the parent is at work, etc.

I'm not saying that it's right to spend money on entertainment instead of swim lessons but in some situations, I can definitely see the thought process. I've worked with a lot of poor rural families. Yes, they will have iPhones etc, but they usually don't have their own transportation and are not living in mansions.

 

[MzRhonda]

Our Y Family rate with our household income is $77/month $100 joining fee THEN you pay reduced rates for the various activities.

Under $30k per year family rate: Your household income qualifies you to apply for a Guardian program scholarship. Please call or visit your local Y; we'll work with you to determine a rate you can afford.

 

[FearlessNik]

My own anecdotal evidence where girls are concerned: A lot of moms don't want the kids hair getting wet, which I can totally understand. When I ran my hair blog, a lot of people didn't want to swim for exercise because their hair would be a wreck afterwards. I have to admit even now I will avoid swimming if my hair has just been done.

In addition to this there's still the stigma parents try to pass on about "getting black" in the summer.

 

[Femmefatal1981]

My mom and many of the black parents I knew signed us all up for swimming lessons every summer growing up.

My mom did too. I was in water babies st the community pool before I could walk. My mom was the last of her sisters to learn to swim. They all took lessons but my mom had a bigger fear of swimming because she wore thick glasses and couldn't see. They grew up in a middle class bLack neighborhood with a pool in Houston TX in the 60's.

In the 80's my grandmother had an inground pool put in and that's where most of my cousins learned to swim.

 

[Theresamonet]

I never knew where the black people don't swim thing comes from. every black person I know knows how to swim and loves getting in the water.
whenever I ask a black person if they can swim they look at me like ***** is you dumb. of course we can swim.

My experience has been the opposite of this. I'm taking my first swimming lesson next Monday, and its got me interested in asking people if they can swim. Almost all of the black people I've asked either cannot swim, or are not confident in their swimming abilities. One co-worker (black woman 30s) grew up with an in-ground swimming pool in her back yard, but said she didn't get in much because her friends/cousins couldn't swim. She says she can get from one end of the pool to the other, but isn't really a swimmer.

Another co-worker (black woman 40s) is going on vacation to Jamaica soon, and she was showing me the Chloe beach bag she bought. I asked her if she could swim. She said, "No. And I don't want to either. I'm just going to be cute sitting by the pool with my beach bag and sun hat". She said pools and bodies of water are dirty and she isn't getting in...

The former co-worker who grew up with a pool also mentioned something about cleanliness and her vagina, and not taking baths, only showers... When I was growing up I had the opportunity to learn to swim at the community pool, but I declined because I looked around at my hood peers and decided I didn't want to be in the same "bath" as them. So, I'm starting to wonder if some of our (black women's) aversion to swimming has anything to do with our hyper cleanliness.

 

[Femmefatal1981]

Ya'll I'm not saying that a lot of black people DONT know how to swim. I think it's been observed before that LHCF is not the average in a lot of areas.

Anecdotal evidence aside, the fact is that a higher rate of black (and Hispanic) kids drown than white kids.

My own anecdotal evidence where girls are concerned: A lot of moms don't want the kids hair getting wet, which I can totally understand. When I ran my hair blog, a lot of people didn't want to swim for exercise because their hair would be a wreck afterwards. I have to admit even now I will avoid swimming if my hair has just been done.

There is a swim program that runs in the area I teach in where they teach kindergarten and first graders to swim. They started it because of the higher than normal drowning rate amoungst low income kids in the city.

The #1 reason these days is fear and crappy parents. We have parents opting their kids out of the program because they are afraid of the water themselves. They would rather see that fear passed on vs. overcome.

 

[Femmefatal1981]

My experience has been the opposite of this. I'm taking my first swimming lesson next Monday, and its got me interested in asking people if they can swim. Almost all of the black people I've asked either cannot swim, or are not confident in their swimming abilities. One co-worker (black woman 30s) grew up with an in-ground swimming pool in her back yard, but said she didn't get in much because her friends/cousins couldn't swim. She says she can get from one end of the pool to the other, but isn't really a swimmer.

Another co-worker (black woman 40s) is going on vacation to Jamaica soon, and she was showing me the Chloe beach bag she bought. I asked her if she could swim. She said, "No. And I don't want to either. I'm just going to be cute sitting by the pool with my beach bag and sun hat". She said pools and bodies of water are dirty and she isn't getting in...

The former co-worker who grew up with a pool also mentioned something about cleanliness and her vagina, and not taking baths, only showers... When I was growing up I had the opportunity to learn to swim at the community pool, but I declined because I looked around at my hood peers and decided I didn't eat to be in the same "bath" as them. So, I'm starting to wonder if some of our (black women's) aversion to swimming has anything to do with our hyper cleanliness.

I would bet that's the case. My granny was psycho about her pool chemicals and her husbands only job was to make sure the levels were right so we could swim safely. Everyone had to shower before they got in but she didn't want you walking around her house wet so she had a bath put outside lol. That pathology is 1 thing I'm glad I didn't pick up from her...

 

[jerseyhaircare]

Never took lessons, however my church and family always took trips to the lake/beach and we just learned over time. My father swam like a fish but my mother just would splash around. We never were told to avoid water due to getting dark or our hair-it was just a fun time activity. My husband doesn't swim-said that being in the water was not a big part of his childhood in Nigeria.

In order to keep the family safe, our plan is to get swim lessons for daddy and both kids-need to keep my babies alive.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

In addition to this there's still the stigma parents try to pass on about "getting black" in the summer.

That is true.

We were at a splash park last summer and I heard a mom shouting at her daughter to get in the shade because she was black enough as it was I was ashamed for the baby. Like, why would you say something like that to your kid in the first place and then in front of a bunch of people?

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

My experience has been the opposite of this. I'm taking my first swimming lesson next Monday, and its got me interested in asking people if they can swim. Almost all of the black people I've asked either cannot swim, or are not confident in their swimming abilities. One co-worker (black woman 30s) grew up with an in-ground swimming pool in her back yard, but said she didn't get in much because her friends/cousins couldn't swim. She says she can get from one end of the pool to the other, but isn't really a swimmer.

Another co-worker (black woman 40s) is going on vacation to Jamaica soon, and she was showing me the Chloe beach bag she bought. I asked her if she could swim. She said, "No. And I don't want to either. I'm just going to be cute sitting by the pool with my beach bag and sun hat". She said pools and bodies of water are dirty and she isn't getting in...

The former co-worker who grew up with a pool also mentioned something about cleanliness and her vagina, and not taking baths, only showers... When I was growing up I had the opportunity to learn to swim at the community pool, but I declined because I looked around at my hood peers and decided I didn't eat to be in the same "bath" as them. So, I'm starting to wonder if some of our (black women's) aversion to swimming has anything to do with our hyper cleanliness.

Good for you for taking lessons!

My DH won't swim in any public pools. He hates the idea of swimming in strangers' germs. It's one reason he was so gung ho about us getting out own pool. He will swim in the ocean though...

 

[ArrrBeee]

Good thoughts. I always thought knowing how to swim was important so you can be in the position to save your own life (or someone else's) if you had to.

If you aren't a very strong swimmer a drowning person may over power you and drown you both. The best way to help is to throw them some sort of flotation device ( ice chest, float, etc).