Do Black People Swim?

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Can black people swim? Are black people afraid of water? Yes. & Yes again. I was born & raised in NYC & lived there all my life until almost a year ago when I relocated to California. Now living out here has caused me to come face to face with my nemesis WATER. Outside of showering & drinking I don't mess with pools, beaches etc. However, I love WATER. Kinda weird huh? I know. Now despite that fear my ass still goes to pools & beaches. I don't do much but hey getting in is the 1st step right? Anyone who know's me also know's I love Sharks & Aquariums. In fact Swimming with Sharks in Australia is on my Bucket list. I did recently find out that I may be able to do this in California so I'm even more hyped. Now back to the issue at hand.

I am going to go out on a limb & say that most blacks don't swim because of FEAR. Yes, that FEAR of water has been passed down from generation to generation . Another reason is because of segregation. Blacks couldn't swim with whites or drink from the same fountain etc. Some blacks were even told to swim in creeks instead of pools. Now while this has changed for the most part it is still embedded in the back of some people's mind.  I remember growing up in the projects in Brooklyn & in the summer all my Puerto Rican friends would go to the beach and pool but we were never allowed to go. I mean NEVER. My mother just simply wouldn't let us go. She would always stuff like ya'll might drown or ya'll can't swim etc. Yet, she never took us to get swimming lessons. Hell, now that I think about it not many of my friends even knew how to swim. That instilled the fear of water in me. I always thought I was going to drown.

I know lot's of people will say black women don't get in water because they don't want to get their hair messed up but I will leave that alone because I think though it may be true for a few I don't think that's the majority. I think access has lots to do with it. If you go into most inner city neighborhoods they don't have many programs teaching black kids/adults how to swim. The NYC Parks Dept. offers a few classes but it's done through a lottery. If you don't get picked to a waiting list you go. I attended public school in New York & I don't even remember any of my schools having a pool. Lot's of parent's can't afford to send their kids to the YMCA for swimming lessons.

Out here in Cali swimming is required to graduate in most high schools. Studies show that you should start teaching your kids to swim as early as 4 or 5. So they get used to the water & don't develop a fear of it. However, if the parents have a fear it's highly unlikely that they will take their kids to get lessons. It's going to take community activists & organizations to ease that fear & help them learn to swim as well

Speaking of the media there aren't many black professional swimmers shown in the media. I can bet that most of you don't even know the people I will mention. It's not your fault. When I typed in Black Professional Swimmers even Google Images didn't have many pics. Sabir Muhammad, Alison Terry, Maritza Correia, Haley McGregory, and Cullen Jones are all professional black swimmers. Just a few but there are more. Google them & see for your yourself. 


I still don't know how to swim but in a few months I start swimming lessons. This is going to be very interesting. I am nervous as a black man in a KKK meeting but it needs to be done. Swimming isn't just an activity it's a life skill that every person be they black or white need to know. Wish me luck on my endeavors to tackle this myth that black people don't swim.... 

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