Swimming In The Black Community: How Racism Is Drowning Us

cocosweet

Well-Known Member

The mom is blaming the floaty, but let’s not ever take our eyes off of a child that can’t swim whose in the water.
Things can go left QUICKLY. A few summers ago we were at a pool party. A bunch of adults were near the pool chatting. I had been watching ds and started talking to someone. Wouldn’t you know it, that’s when ds got in over his head and was flailing. An older child who was closer than I was got to him before I did. :nono:
So whoever said there needs to be a designated child watcher was on target.

Boychild started his swim lessons this week.
 

Kanky

Well-Known Member
Another kid on a floaty. At the beach. In the Atlantic Ocean, half a mile from shore.

His mom was on the phone with 911 saying that he wasn't wearing a life jacket and he can't really swim (not a black family).
I just don’t get why people don’t use their common sense. This is exactly what I would expect to happen if I used that kind of floaty in the ocean. But these people are shocked that the floaty floated. :lol:
 

Ms. Tarabotti

Well-Known Member
If your kid can not swim, don't put him on a floaty thing at the beach without a life vest. And if you know that he can not swim, at least one parent should have been next to him, ready to scoop him up if things got dicey- suppose a rip current or some rogue wave had come along?

My grandmother always said that the sea has no back door. Stay out of the water if you can't swim.
 

Leeda.the.Paladin

Well-Known Member

The family of a Texas boy who drowned in his neighborhood pool has filed a lawsuit, claiming the pool was overcrowded and was not being properly watched by lifeguards.


The lawsuit filed by Ga Ram Kang’s family alleges that there should have been a limit on how many people were in the pool. It also said lifeguards should have had better training. (Source: KTRK/CNN VAN)
"He was our everything," said Jocelyn Kang, the boy's mother.

Kang's life revolved around her 6-year-old son Ga Ram Kan and after he drowned two months ago, she says some days feel unlivable.

"It's been hard," Kang said. "It's been very hard."

She and her husband are suing the community association of King Crossing Inc., and the home builder Pulte Homes of Texas.

The lawsuit alleges that on that crowded holiday at the pool, there should have been a limit on how many people were there and the lifeguards should have had better training.

Kang said one of the two lifeguards on duty didn't even jump in when her son was face down in the water.

"They were ready for the job, not the crisis," Kang said.

Kang believed the lifeguards provided a false sense of security.

She's urging other parents to watch their children closely.

Other residents of the community said they're doing just that.

"I keep my eyes on them," said Kina White, a neighbor. "I can't trust anybody else watching my kids."

The community association declined to comment on the filing.

Pulte Homes of Texas responded with a statement.

"First and foremost, this is a terrible tragedy and we offer our deepest sympathies to the Kang family," Kang said. "At this time, we are not aware of any lawsuit having been filed."

But Kang hopes parents are aware of the dangers crowded pools can pose.
 

dancinstallion

Well-Known Member
Ex-Clemson, E. Carolina RB Dye drowns in lake
ESPN News ServicesJul 6, 20191 Minute Read
CLEMSON, S.C. -- Former Clemson and East Carolina running back Tyshon Dyedrowned Friday while swimming in a lake during a family outing.


Dye was 25 years old.

Elbert County coroner Chuck Almond told several media outlets Dye was at Richard B. Russell State Park in Georgia when he tired in the water and could not make it to shore. The coroner's office ruled Dye's death accidental.

Dye played at Elbert County Comprehensive High School before coming to Clemson. He was a reserve on the Tigers' 2016 national championship team, then transferred to East Carolina for his final college season.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said everyone with the Tigers was heartbroken over Dye's death. Swinney called his former player one of the "sweetest souls" he'd ever known and was praying for Dye's family.

In his three seasons at Clemson, Dye rushed for 351 yards and five touchdowns on 76 carries. In his lone season with East Carolina, he rushed for 217 yards on 50 carries.
 

Leeda.the.Paladin

Well-Known Member
Everyone be careful this summer, especially. Mods, please dont move this thread anywhere so that everyone can continue to be aware.

Children May Be At Higher Risk of Drowning This Summer
The pandemic poses new safety challenges around water. Parents should be ready.




Here’s the article if you all care to read:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/parenting/drowning-water-safety.html

Main points:

“This year, with outings to the community pool, day camps and pool parties still on hold, kids cooped up at home will be eager to get in the water as the weather warms. Experts worry that parents are stretched too thin to provide the required supervision, leading to an increase in child drownings this summer. As of mid-May, both Florida and Texas — the top two states for child drownings in pools and spas — are already seeing higher numbers than last year.”


Inflatable pools may seem like great options during pandemic-driven staycations, but even those portable pools can be deadly. “You’re thinking, ‘Oh, it’s a kiddie pool. It’s only six inches of water.’ Well, if a kid’s flat, facedown and can’t get up, they are submerged underwater,” Dr. Katchmarchi said. This is particularly true with babies and young toddlers, who have a harder time righting themselves because of their proportionally larger heads.


Smaller pools should be emptied after use. “


And:


Passive supervision, such as being nearby and listening, or even being physically present but working or scrolling on your phone, isn’t enough. Instead, Dr. William Ramos, Ph.D., a member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council and an associate professor at the Indiana School of Public Health in Bloomington, recommends “touch supervision” for kids under 5; for those 10 and under, he encourages parents to stay within eye shot or arm’s reach. To avoid confusion, one adult should be the designated “water watcher” and be trained in CPR, he said.

one minute, the A.A.P. recommends multiple layers of protection, as outlined in its policy statement.”
 

dancinstallion

Well-Known Member
Black folks missing at orange beach, presumed drowned. One lady was airlifted to the hospital and is in critical condition.

https://www.wkrg.com/baldwin-county...rching-for-multiple-swimmers-at-orange-beach/


2 drowning victims found in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores; 3rd person in critical condition
Updated May 26, 2020; Posted May 26, 2020
By The Associated Press
  • two Louisiana men who went missing in the surf.

    WALA-TV reports that authorities in Orange Beach say a body washed up Tuesday morning at Gulf State Park, and a second one was found later in Gulf Shores.

    The remains were found after two swimmers were last seen near Perdido Pass on Sunday night. Authorities identified the missing men as 22-year-old Darius Robinson and 28-year-old Ryan Guy, both of Louisiana.

    Around the same time they went missing a third swimmer was found floating face down in the water by boaters. A person identified as 28-year-old Jasmine Brundy was taken to a hospital in Pensacola, Florida and remains in critical condition.

    Police say the three were together.

 

Leeda.the.Paladin

Well-Known Member
The pandemic is definitely having an effect. It’s not just in pools but little ones in bathtubs, etc. We adults are all so distracted and overwhelmed.


Florida drowning deaths up 70% from this time last year, nonprofit says





By: WFTS Digital Staff
Posted at 8:50 AM, Apr 13, 2020

and last updated 7:52 AM, Apr 13, 2020
TAMPA, Fla. -- Drowning deaths in Florida are up 70% when compared to this time last year, according to Water Smart Tots.

For children in the state between ages 1 and 4, drowning is the leading cause of death. Annually, enough children to fill three to four preschool classrooms drown before their fifth birthday, according to Florida Health.


The nonprofit says 12 children died from drowning in February and March of this year, compared to zero deaths during those months in 2019.

FLORIDA NEWS | The latest headlines from Florida

"The drowning statistics are rising at an alarming rate even more now that families are home-bound juggling working from home and homeschooling older children," Water Smart Tots wrote on Facebook. "Toddlers are experts at momentarily escaping adult supervision only to be found unresponsive in pool, lake, canal, bathtub, etc. "

Keeping your family safe is a top priority, and these water safety tips can help you out.

Never leave a child alone in or near water. It may seem like an obvious rule, but drowning is a silent catastrophe. It can happen in just a few minutes.

Even if you're at a public pool or beach with a lifeguard, always take responsibility and designate an official water watcher.

Teach your children how to swim. It's not only fun but also a lifesaver. Many places even offer free or discounted lessons.

Broken, loose, or missing drain covers can lead to disaster. Teach your children to stay away from drains and suction outlets, especially in spas and shallow pools. Hair, limbs and bathing suits can all get stuck in the opening.

Install proper barriers, covers and alarms around your spa and/or pool. They can save a life. A fence at least four feet high should surround the pool or spa on all sides. It shouldn't be climbable and should only be accessible through a self-closing, self-latching gate.

If the worst does happen, be prepared and know how to perform CPR on children and adults. Bystanders are often the first to help a drowning victim.

For more safety tips, you can visit several websites, including Water Smart Florida, Pool Safely and even the City of Tampa's website.
 

Leeda.the.Paladin

Well-Known Member
Phenix City boy rescues toddler from drowning while vacationing in Panama City Beach

Phenix City boy rescues toddler from drowning while vacationing in Panama City Beach (Source: WTVM)
By Cindy Centofanti | June 19, 2020 at 8:09 PM CDT - Updated June 19 at 10:20 PM
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WTVM) - A family from Eufaula, Alabama is fighting for their sons life after he nearly drowned on vacation in Panama City Beach.

Keya Carter and her husband Maurice Jackson have been vacationing in Panama City Beach, Florida since last Saturday with their five children. But this past Tuesday is a day that they will never forget.

Four-year-old Kailon was enjoying a pool day with his family when his oldest sibling asked his mother to get him some food. Carter said Kailon was out of the water when she got up. But when she turned her back, all she could remember was hearing a scream for help.

“My body just blocked out everybody. I could only hear Connor screaming help,” Carter said. “When I turned around, I could just see my son foaming at the mouth and stuff. So, I just pulled him out of the pool.”

In those moments after Kailon fell into the water, Connor Bunce, a 10-year-old boy from Phenix City Alabama who was also vacationing with Kailon’s family, said he knew immediately what to do in that moment.

“I saw Kailon floating near the bottom of the pool, so I dove down there, grabbed him by his arm, and pulled him back up and held him by his head and then yelled ‘help!’ to his mom,” Connor said.

Kailon was transported by paramedics to the Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center where he has remained since Tuesday. Carter said her son is making a slow recovery, but he has to remain on ventilators to support his lungs.

“I just wish it wasn’t him,” she said. “I wish I could just take his place. I just would have never expected something like this to happen.”

Carter said she and her family aren’t sure when they will be able to come home with Kailon’s condition, but one thing is for sure:

“Connor is a hero and we thank Connor. Connor has been apart of our family ever since our son has started playing baseball with his dad,” Carter said.

Kailon’s mom said doctors hope to remove the ventilator’s within the next few days depending on his condition.
 

Shimmie

"God is the Only Truth -- Period"
Staff member
I just don’t get why people don’t use their common sense. This is exactly what I would expect to happen if I used that kind of floaty in the ocean. But these people are shocked that the floaty floated. :lol:
Thank you!!!!! These stories get on my nerves. Parents who don’t have sense enough to take safety precautions by putting life jackets on their children and not paying attention to them. Then something happens and they start going berserk:cry: Even adults on huge fishing boats wear life jackets.

Parents should be banned from all water parks, pools and beaches. They don’t watch their children and end up wasting everyone’s time and energy to fix their negligence. Their poor children end up with PTSD’s and hydrophobia. :nono:
 

Shimmie

"God is the Only Truth -- Period"
Staff member
The pandemic is definitely having an effect. It’s not just in pools but little ones in bathtubs, etc. We adults are all so distracted and overwhelmed.


Florida drowning deaths up 70% from this time last year, nonprofit says





By: WFTS Digital Staff
Posted at 8:50 AM, Apr 13, 2020

and last updated 7:52 AM, Apr 13, 2020
TAMPA, Fla. -- Drowning deaths in Florida are up 70% when compared to this time last year, according to Water Smart Tots.

For children in the state between ages 1 and 4, drowning is the leading cause of death. Annually, enough children to fill three to four preschool classrooms drown before their fifth birthday, according to Florida Health.


The nonprofit says 12 children died from drowning in February and March of this year, compared to zero deaths during those months in 2019.

FLORIDA NEWS | The latest headlines from Florida

"The drowning statistics are rising at an alarming rate even more now that families are home-bound juggling working from home and homeschooling older children," Water Smart Tots wrote on Facebook. "Toddlers are experts at momentarily escaping adult supervision only to be found unresponsive in pool, lake, canal, bathtub, etc. "

Keeping your family safe is a top priority, and these water safety tips can help you out.

Never leave a child alone in or near water. It may seem like an obvious rule, but drowning is a silent catastrophe. It can happen in just a few minutes.

Even if you're at a public pool or beach with a lifeguard, always take responsibility and designate an official water watcher.

Teach your children how to swim. It's not only fun but also a lifesaver. Many places even offer free or discounted lessons.

Broken, loose, or missing drain covers can lead to disaster. Teach your children to stay away from drains and suction outlets, especially in spas and shallow pools. Hair, limbs and bathing suits can all get stuck in the opening.

Install proper barriers, covers and alarms around your spa and/or pool. They can save a life. A fence at least four feet high should surround the pool or spa on all sides. It shouldn't be climbable and should only be accessible through a self-closing, self-latching gate.

If the worst does happen, be prepared and know how to perform CPR on children and adults. Bystanders are often the first to help a drowning victim.

For more safety tips, you can visit several websites, including Water Smart Florida, Pool Safely and even the City of Tampa's website.
Excellent safety tips :yep:
 

Leeda.the.Paladin

Well-Known Member
https://www.oregonmetro.gov/news/black-waters

Black waters: reconnecting Black and Brown children to water and swimming



Jason Ligons stands on the bank of the Columbia River at Broughton Beach. The Metro nature educator wants to reconnect children of color with water and swimming.



Black waters: reconnecting Black and Brown children to water and swimming
By Matan Gold
July 29, 2020 9:35 a.m.
Bylined articles are written by Metro staff and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Metro or the Metro Council. Learn more

Swimming is integral to Black and Brown history. Jason Ligons wants youth of color to know why.

Black people don’t know how to swim, has been a near constant refrain throughout Metro naturalist, Jason Ligons’s, life – and he is tired of it.

Ligons spent his early years surrounded by water in Eagle River, Alaska, a bucolic community within the municipality of Anchorage. He was instilled with reverence and respect for water: Always wear a life jacket. Don’t go past your knees.

In high school, his family settled in Vancouver. A strong swimmer, Ligons easily made the school’s team though quit after a single year, unwilling to suffer the constant barrage of racist remarks from his teammates.



You don't float. Life jackets do.

Learn how to find the right life jacket for you. Wearing one is best thing you can do to protect yourself in water.

Wear a life jacket

Post-graduation, unable to pay for college, Ligons made the very same decision countless Brown and Black folks have made before him and headed to the military recruitment offices, with the intention to enlist with the Air Force.

At the time, all the recruitment offices were in the same strip mall. Strangely, on a Wednesday afternoon, the Air Force office was closed. Undeterred, Ligons headed to the Navy office only to be intercepted by a Coast Guard recruiter, whose sole question was, “Do you know how to swim?”

Two days later, Ligons was sent off to boot camp “with an Afro, a little overweight” and little knowledge of the Coast Guard. He was asked to fill out an assessment; regarding swimming skills, he chose the option Above Excellent. As Ligons lined up for his swim test, his Black drill sergeant let him know he was the only recruit to make such an audacious claim and advised, “You best swim better than me.”

When Ligons’ turn came around, nearly no other swimmer had passed the test. Ligons entered the water, and his sergeant jumped in after him. Ligons backed up his claim and beat the sergeant.

Seemingly furious, the sergeant grabbed a 250-pound dummy, threw it into the pool and told Ligons to dive after it – and though exhausted, he managed to retrieve the dummy. The sergeant pulled Ligons from the water, told him to stand at ease and informed him that he would be a rescue swimmer.

To deal with the grind and demand of Coast Guard service, Ligons found strength in history. “It meant a lot to me to know other Black people had gone through what I was going through.”

He was particularly inspired by the rescue crew of Pea Island, a U.S. Life-Saving Service (the predecessor to the Coast Guard) station off the coast of North Carolina. It was the first and only station in this nation’s history to have an all-Black rescue crew.

Richard Etheridge, a former slave and Civil War veteran, took command of the station in 1880. Under his keep, his crew saved 30 vessels and nearly 200 lives, only losing seven. Let us remember these rescues occurred during Jim Crow, at the height of lynch mobs; these men were saving the lives of their tyrants. Their heroics and grace would be ignored by the Coast Guard for nearly a century.

While a Black commanding officer was remarkable, Black people swimming would not have been. Swimming, fishing and diving were integral skills for peoples living off the west coast of Africa, skills that then survived the Triangle Trade. Before the Civil War, there was higher swimming competency among Black folks than whites. In fact, we do not see the swift degradation of swimming skills within Black communities till desegregation prompted white flight to suburbs, where private, home-owner-association-owned pools replaced public pools. Municipal pools were closed, even filled in, rather than allow integration. A continuum of inequitable access to water was expanded.

That is how, within a generation, there was a near complete erasure of swimming skills among Black communities, leading us to today where nearly 70% of Black children have low-to-no swimming ability. Nor is it much better for other communities of color: 66% of Asian and Pacific Islander and 56% of Latinx children have low-to-no swimming ability. Indigenous children are twice as likely to drown as their white counterparts.

After Ligons was discharged from his service, he returned to the Pacific Northwest, set about getting a degree and supporting his family. Eventually, needing a career change, Ligons decide to attend a veteran’s career fair at which he was approached by a rep for the Forest Service. In high school, Ligons had participated in an urban youth program with the Forest Service; he left the program with the impression the outdoors weren’t for people who looked like him.

However, the recruiter was persistent, and Ligons needed out from his sales job. He was soon hired as a ranger for Multnomah Falls. To his surprise, he enjoyed the job, fell in love with working outdoors. But the best part was, “talking to the kids and educating people who looked like me,” on conservation and how to protect natural resources – resources that Ligons wants to make sure everyone has equitable access to.

A few years later, Ligons brought this passion and care to Metro’s Oxbow Regional Park. As the sole Black ranger at Oxbow, he was intentional about providing youth of color a positive interaction with a badge. It is difficult work to be placed in a position of representing an entire community, but worth it when he would hear, “Hey, it means a lot to have someone who looks like me in uniform.”

In his new role as a Metro nature educator, Ligons combines his expertise with water and love to teaching, by connecting youth of color to the natural resources they have systematically been denied. He strives to promote equitable access to water, show these youth that swimming is indeed their heritage, educate youth on how water has been weaponized against communities of color, and provide the tools for how best to be safe and have fun around open water.

He says, “I’ve gone my whole life hearing Black people can’t swim. I want to shut that up. I want kids of color to know swimming and water safety are for them.”
 

kcbelle925

Well-Known Member
My son started swimming lessons when he was three, he’s now almost 21 and is a certified lifeguard. I paid those hefty rates for swimming classes during the school year. But was grateful to learn that swimming lessons were included when he went to day camp during the summer.
 

Sosoothing

Well-Known Member
Are swimming lessons expensive, I am not understanding why such a disparity exist?

I believe so, as far as the cost of swimming lessons.
We were blessed enough to happen upon Tankproof. They are a non profit focusing on helping black and under privileged kids learn to swim. Lessons are free. They travel all around the country.
 

Leeda.the.Paladin

Well-Known Member
Are swimming lessons expensive, I am not understanding why such a disparity exist?
Swim lessons are expensive. I know I paid for 2 sets of lessons and my oldest child still couldn’t dependably swim in deep water afterwards. It took awhile before he could swim.

Consistently swimming is also key. And a lot of kids don’t have access to pools on a regular basis or even just during the summer.
 

Leeda.the.Paladin

Well-Known Member
Another factor is that some black parents are afraid of water and pass that on to the kids. I have a friend that can’t swim and wants to get her child in lessons, but needs to get over her own fears of having her child in the water.

I have an underlying fear of water and swimming because I never really did it growing up. I learned to swim as an adult and forced myself to do a triathlon so that I would become comfortable in open/deep water. I swam in a lake and we have a pool, but I’m still not that comfortable in water.

It was one of my goals as a parent that my kids not have the fear that I have had all my life. They are very comfortable in the water after many swimming sessions and they have all been on a swim team at one point or another.
 

MamaBear2012

Well-Known Member
Are swimming lessons expensive, I am not understanding why such a disparity exist?
I live in Atlanta. Our mayor opened the pools for free a couple of years ago so that everyone could enjoy them. There were shootings, all kinds of violence and foolishness, and well...that was the end of that. As the city continues to gentrify, there will be a shift, and those pools will get a facelift, and the kids in the pools will look a lot different. But that's neither here nor there.

The YMCA is a $99/month membership fee and then you pay for swim classes on top of that. The classes typically last 6 weeks or so, but you have to keep learning, so you could pay several hundred dollars over some time. With multiple kids, that's a lot for some people.

I currently have my kids in swim classes at a different facility. It's smaller. And they've been learning for about a year. I pay around $100/month for each of them and they go once a week. They both can swim now. At this point, I'm working on them learning better techniques. Better breath control. Strength in their strokes. Things like that. I'll probably give it 2-3 more months, then stop the lessons. And I'll be the only person in the family who can't swim. :oops:
 
Top