# Swimming In The Black Community: How Racism Is Drowning Us



## Leeda.the.Paladin

Generic image
*iStock*
Summertime is here, which means that pool parties and beach days are bound to be had. However, while many of us may be sporting a two-piece on the sand, very few of us will be jumping off a diving board anytime soon. Why? Because, according to research from the USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis, 70 percent of African Americans do not know how to swim.

So what’s to blame for this alarming statistic? Of course there is the obvious issue of chlorine and the effects it has on our hair; but the true origin of our underrepresentation in the water is attached to deeper historical and generational roots—historically, segregation; generationally, fear.

As University of Montana professor Jeff Wiltse, author of _Contested Waters__: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America,_ puts it, “It is because of discrimination and segregation that swimming never became a part of African-American recreational culture.”


Put differently: Lack of access to swimming pools and public beaches meant that many black Americans were denied the opportunity to learn how to swim; and intergenerational fear of the water stops their descendants from learning now.

In fact, recreational swimming only became popular in the U.S. during the 1920s and 1930s. It was then that many municipal pools began to pop up across the nation. By the time swimming became recognized as a sport in the 1950s and 1960s, segregation in the U.S. was also recognized, widening the racial and economic divide that left many African Americans to drown—literally and figuratively.

This leads us to today’s reality: If your grandparents weren’t able to learn how to swim, then they didn’t teach your parents. And if your parents didn’t swim, then you might not know how to swim, either.

In fact, the USA Swimming Foundation study shows that “if a parent does not know how to swim, there is only a 13 percent chance that a child in that household will learn how to swim.”

“My mother didn't know how to swim and had a bit of a fear of the water. That fear was pushed on us, so we didn't learn how to swim,” says Ty Alexander, author of _Things I Wish I Knew Before My Mom Died__._ On the other hand, “My son knows the basics just because he's a millennial … they are more daring and willing to jump in the water without fear,” she adds.

Then there is the opposite: black parents who did know how to swim. Parents like former University of Texas at Austin competitive swimmer Kelley Robins Hicks. “I never remember learning to swim … as far as I know, I’ve been able to swim my whole life,” she says. Her parents both swam in high school, and her father also swam in college. “All of my cousins, aunts and uncles swim, too,” she adds.

This “family business,” as Robins Hicks puts it, ultimately afforded many other black children in Houston the opportunity not only to swim but to swim competitively during the late ’80s. Her father teamed up with both her godfather and the city’s commissioner to create a swim team for inner-city kids that would be free. A major inclusion, since, despite its racially divided beginnings, swimming was and still is an expensive sport.



Despite both historical and current impediments, many young black people love being around water. And to circumvent the constraints of a racist society—from segregation to affordability and accessibility—some black parents took their children swimming in local lakes, rivers or oceans. The negative side to this is the danger that these bodies of water can present.

Take the six African-American teenagers from two families who drowned in a single incident in Louisiana in 2010, for example. Sadly, the teens’ friends and family, who watched in horror as they drowned, couldn't save them because they couldn’t swim, either.


According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has more than 3,500 accidental drownings every year. That is almost 10 a day. And among these alarming numbers, this: The fatal-drowning rate of African-American children ages 5 to 14 is three times that of white children.

So while discrimination may have played a significant role in our lack of water skills in the past, and fear is an undeniable factor, we will need a change in our mindsets toward swimming in order to tackle this disparity in our culture today.

Unlike in the United Kingdom, where learning to swim is embraced within the national curriculum, the ultimate responsibility for this mental shift in the U.S. often lies with parents.


"I would love to make it a rule like they have in the U.K.," says Cullen Jones, a gold medalist in the freestyle 100-meter relay in Beijing, and a spokesman for USA Swimming's Make a Splash campaign. After he nearly drowned at a theme park at the age of 5, his mother immediately enrolled him in swimming lessons. By the time he was 8, he was swimming competitively. Today the Make a Splash campaign is geared toward all nonswimmers and their parents, but there is a particular focus on ethnic-minority families.

So if you have children, the key is to start them young. Are you grown and can’t swim? Well, it is never too late to learn. “I'd love to be able to swim about freely with my friends who have learned how to swim. I'd also like to be prepared in the event an accident happens and I need to save my own life,” says Alexander.



Ultimately, there is room for us in the swimming community, both recreationally and competitively. So it is time that we dive in, black people.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

It's summer and the time is ripe for drownings. I just heard of an 11 year old black boy that drowned at a family reunion, which was near a lake. He was standing on a dock and fell in unnoticed. They found his body the next day  It breaks my heart that this could've been avoided. 

A lot of parents don't think their kids will ever have a need for swimming. But our planet is mostly water. Chances are that they will, at some point, come into contact with water deeper than they are tall. Kids need to learn to swim or at least be able to float until help comes.


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## Thump

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.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

Thump said:


> 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.



I think that y'll were the exception. What part of the country do you live in? 

That's great though. I grew up afraid of it and that fear was very hard to overcome.


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## MzRhonda

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


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## MzRhonda

Thump said:


> 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.


Sounds like where I grew up we were in the pool everyday. My cousins and neighbor friends would sometimes jump the fence at night too! Lol


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## Thump

KCcurly said:


> I think that y'll were the exception. What part of the country do you live in?
> 
> That's great though. I grew up afraid of it and that fear was very hard to overcome.



Philly and then Va.


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## Coilystep

My mother has a fear of water and it transferred to me. I took swimming lessons the year I turned forty. I am more comfortable in water now.


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## bellatiamarie

MzRhonda said:


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



This.

Any kids I have will be in swimming lessons before they learn how to walk.  I can't take those types of risks living in Florida.


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## Thump

MzRhonda said:


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



That's nice, we didn't get any lessons. Other kids threw you in and you had to figure it out. There was always lifeguard on hand  but I only remember him having to go in only once after someone was thrown in. It was sort of a ritual, looking back it was dangerous as hell though lol.  The pool was owned by the city and they would not allow lessons unless you paid and went to the "white" pool for the lessons. We were too poor to pay  for lessons.


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## niknakmac

My family loves the water. Vacations for us always included a beach growing up usually on a Caribbean island. My sister and I took swimming lessons all year long as kids. Even in the dead of winter in Canada.  I had rd in the pool taking lessons once she turned a year. Idk anyone in my family and extended family that doesn't swim.


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## OhTall1

Coilystep said:


> *My mother has a fear of water and it transferred to me. *I took swimming lessons the year I turned forty. I am more comfortable in water now.


Same here.  And her parents had the same fear so none of the aunts and uncles on her side of the family swim.  They were poor in rural Virginia so no access to pools and no nearby bodies of water.

I contacted a swim coach for personal lessons but things got busy this year.  I'll probably try her again in the fall.


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## Coilystep

OhTall1 said:


> Same here.  And her parents had the same fear so none of the aunts and uncles on her side of the family swim.  They were poor in rural Virginia so no access to pools and no nearby bodies of water.
> 
> I contacted a swim coach for personal lessons but things got busy this year.  I'll probably try her again in the fall.


My mom is still very resistant. I sent this article this morning. She said nice article swimming still not for me. 
My mom was born and raised in Buffalo NY and so was I.  So there was definitely access to water. 
I hope you definitely find time to get with the swim coach this year. It is so worth it.


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## Shiks

Someone wrote a book about Nairobi(Kenyan) and this white man Nic Cheeseman who is a 'respected African expert' said it was clearly fiction because there are no black people who swim in Nairobi,which is a lie. I don't know if it is being on here but I get so annoyed by things like these;white people putting their crap/how they think we should be on us as if it is fact. Many public schools have pools and we have country clubs full of wait for it black people.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

Coilystep said:


> My mother has a fear of water and it transferred to me. I took swimming lessons the year I turned forty. I am more comfortable in water now.



I took lessons when I was 24 and I was happy that there were so many other black folks in the class. I know a lot of them had kids and didn't want to transfer that fear to them. There was even a 70 year old woman who said she'd never been in water deeper than a bath tub. I really admired her.


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## KidneyBean86

I'm making it a personal goal this year to learn how to swim. I remember almost drowning at age 6 and I have been hesitant about going into the water since then.


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## nysister

I've taken swimming lessons and I've swam in a pool, but I still wouldn't say I swim. It's a skill like most things that has to be done repetitively. We've thought of putting a pool in but haven't. I've friends with pools and I should practice there, but I haven't. At this point I know it's on me. I come from a family of non-swimmers.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

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.


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## WhoIAm

My kids take swimming lessons but I don't swim yet. My priority was always to get them swimming and then worry about myself. I'll do it sometime this year, but honestly public pools gross me out.


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## FlowerHair

It's part of our school curriculum. If you can't swim by grade 6, you will not be moved up to grade 7.

DS' preschool gives the kids swimming classes, but he's not swimming well yet. We'll work on it this summer and have fun at the same time. I love water.


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## chebaby

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.


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## Coilystep

The middle/high school(5-12) I attended had a pool and swim was required. However my mom promptly got me a medical excuse. I remember taking it 5th grade year but after that I had doctors note.


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## nysister

FlowerHair said:


> It's part of our school curriculum. *If you can't swim by grade 6, you will not be moved up to grade 7.*



That's very interesting. 

I know that people without arms swim, and lean men with little muscle fat win the olympics so there really is no excuse. 

Sigh. I really need to just get a pool and practice daily.


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## Pat Mahurr

FlowerHair said:


> It's part of our school curriculum. If you can't swim by grade 6, you will not be moved up to grade 7.
> 
> DS' preschool gives the kids swimming classes, but he's not swimming well yet. We'll work on it this summer and have fun at the same time. I love water.


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


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## nerdography

My father is the only person that I know that doesn't know how to swim. I learned to swim when I was a little girl. Also, when I was in high school swim was part of gym class.


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## MzRhonda

KCcurly said:


> I think that y'll were the exception. What part of the country do you live in?
> 
> That's great though. I grew up afraid of it and that fear was very hard to overcome.





Thump said:


> Philly and then Va.


Virginia for me.
My 2 kids took swimming lessons as well. I couldn't take chances that they did not know how to swim when we live so near the beach and other water....plus when they get older and leave home I need to make sure if they are around any type of water they can swim......so many older people are drowning in pools and beaches.


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## MzRhonda

FlowerHair said:


> It's part of our school curriculum. If you can't swim by grade 6, you will not be moved up to grade 7.
> 
> DS' preschool gives the kids swimming classes, but he's not swimming well yet. We'll work on it this summer and have fun at the same time. I love water.


Wow interesting. Where are you located?
Here the swim teams in high school are majority yt and most also swim in neighborhood leagues.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

FlowerHair said:


> It's part of our school curriculum. If you can't swim by grade 6, you will not be moved up to grade 7.
> 
> DS' preschool gives the kids swimming classes, but he's not swimming well yet. We'll work on it this summer and have fun at the same time. I love water.


I know that in UK, swimming is a part of the curriculum. Here, some kids aren't even required to take physical education, so swimming is basically on the parents


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## BillsBackerz67

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.


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## ava2

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.


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## DeepBluSea

Thump said:


> 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


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

IronButterfly said:


> 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.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

DeepBluSea said:


> 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.


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## FlowerHair

Pat Mahurr said:


> 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.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

IslandMummy said:


> 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


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

BillsBackerz67 said:


> 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.


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## 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.


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## IslandMummy

IronButterfly said:


> 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.


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## IronButterfly

IslandMummy said:


> These handfeet are an abomination.


They're great for swimming though!


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## MzRhonda

KCcurly said:


> 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.


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## dancinstallion

Chromia said:


> 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.


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## IronButterfly

KCcurly said:


> 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.


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## HappilyLiberal

KCcurly said:


> 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.


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## dancinstallion

KCcurly said:


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





MzRhonda said:


> 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.


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## IronButterfly

KCcurly said:


> 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.


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## IronButterfly

HappilyLiberal said:


> 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.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

IronButterfly said:


> 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.


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## 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.


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## FearlessNik

KCcurly said:


> 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.


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## Femmefatal1981

MzRhonda said:


> 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.


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## Theresamonet

chebaby said:


> 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.


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## Femmefatal1981

KCcurly said:


> 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

Theresamonet said:


> 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

FearlessNik said:


> 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

Theresamonet said:


> 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

ava2 said:


> 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).


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

Femmefatal1981 said:


> 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...



Aww man, she was hard core   But I do wish we had a shower out by our pool. 

My mother in law gets so exasperated with me because I make my children bathe after they've been in a pool. I'm not sure why people equate swimming with bathing. I heard a daddy at a public pool telling his daughter that she didn't even need to shower tonight because she was nice and clean from the pool.


----------



## prettywhitty

I took lessons as a child but I am not a strong swimmer. I plan on taking personal lessons this fall. I wanted to this summer but the classes were already full.


----------



## Chromia

dancinstallion said:


> 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.


That's good that you want to find a pool where he can practice daily. I think that was another reason that I couldn't swim even after taking lessons - there wasn't a pool for me to practice in. I just had the once-a-week group swimming lessons and that was it.


----------



## FemmeCreole

Grew up to in the Caribbean. I swam at the beach all the darn time. 

DD has been in swimming lessons since she was 1. I actually need to get her back in lessons before the summer is over.


----------



## IronButterfly

KCcurly said:


> 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.



Find swim lessons that are one time a week.  That's what we do.  And on the weekend so you're not missing work.  If all you can see are the roadblocks than that's what you'll get.  Just saying.

Buying an ipad or game console is beneficial to the family?  A family that can afford those items is not poor (and are probably obese!) and can easily afford swim lessons.  How about buying a basket ball so all the kids can get outside and exercise and have fun together?  If you live in a dirt rural area there's probably a lake at your disposal.  Funny, how back in the days before internet, iphones, cable and excuses, kids had access to stuff even if they had to walk.


----------



## Femmefatal1981

KCcurly said:


> Aww man, she was hard core   But I do wish we had a shower out by our pool.
> 
> My mother in law gets so exasperated with me because I make my children bathe after they've been in a pool. I'm not sure why people equate swimming with bathing. I heard a daddy at a public pool telling his daughter that she didn't even need to shower tonight because she was nice and clean from the pool.


Oh heck no...


----------



## Chromia

ArrrBeee said:


> 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).


That reminds me of this Inside Edition story about what to do if you see someone drowning, and how easy it is to not notice that someone is drowning because people drown quietly in real life instead of yelling and splashing like they do in the movies and on TV.

And this story showing 3 kids who were drowning (it's okay to watch - the video also shows all 3 kids being rescued by lifeguards) and how the other people in the water didn't notice.


----------



## Femmefatal1981

dancinstallion said:


> 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.


Blue Triangle in 3rd ward. That pool is responsible for teaching swimming to like 90% of the black folks who grew up in that area. My friend drove her son from Richmond to be on their swim team for years


----------



## ScorpioBeauty09

My only biological uncle drowned at 13. My mom, his sister watched it happen and was powerless to do anything because she couldn't swim. She made sure all her children learned to swim and enrolled us in summer lessons early. I started when I was 4. Some of my best early childhood memories are going to summer school in the morning and then playing around until teachers would walk us to the pool a couple blocks away, especially on days we had free swim before lessons. I took lessons until just before HS and I trained for months and got a swim trophy at the end after diving in a 13 foot pool and bringing a brick up to the surface. I was so nervous because diving was something I really struggled with.


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

IronButterfly said:


> Find swim lessons that are one time a week.  That's what we do.  And on the weekend so you're not missing work.  If all you can see are the roadblocks than that's what you'll get.  Just saying.
> 
> *Buying an ipad or game console is beneficial to the family?*  A family that can afford those items is not poor (and are probably obese!) and can easily afford swim lessons.  How about buying a basket ball so all the kids can get outside and exercise and have fun together?  If you live in a dirt rural area there's probably a lake at your disposal.  Funny, how back in the days before internet, iphones, cable and excuses, kids had access to stuff even if they had to walk.



To many families, yes it is. Some kids don't have access to a computer and use an iPad for school. Educational apps are available.  I'm sure a lot are using it for snap chat and games, whatever, but that's not to say that it's a useless item.

Lakes are not going to be in the middle of a small town. You will have to travel to get there and even then they are probably on private property. I also would not expect children to learn how to swim, with_ parents who don't know how to swim_, in a lake where there is no lifeguard. And in MS there are probably poisonous snakes in the lake.

I'm not saying that they should just give up, but things are not black and white.

I'm sorry, but for my kids, the once a week swim lessons were not helpful. It was slow going. If you take into account that someone might have more than one child, it's even less helpful. Practice is what makes a good swimmer, generally speaking.

We disagree, and that's cool. I'm going by what I've seen and heard with my own eyes and ears. Maybe I'm more sensitive to it because I grew to care about those people and understand their situation. It's hard to break from cycles of poverty and fear. 

A poor person who owns an xbox or iPad is not necessarily wasting all their money on frivolous things. However motivating it seems to say "forget the roadblocks",those roadblocks are still there. Sometimes people are doing the best that they can, with what they have.  Of course there are parents who could care less, but the ones who care ARE out there.


----------



## metro_qt

My mom didn't know how to swim and is pretty afraid of water...my dad knew how to swim. 
I was taught at school though, because grade 4 was swimming lessons...and I was HORRIBLE. 

What changed was that summer at the boys and girls club with my friends and more swimming lessons, and I made it up to the grey badge I believe...

Now I go scuba diving on vacation (I learned that at the boys and girls club too)
And snorkeling whenever an excursion is offered....


----------



## winterinatl

Theresamonet said:


> 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.


You know what...I used to be a competitive swimmer and lifeguard, and swim instructor. I love to swim. 

However. Something has happened to me in the past 10 years or so. I get super grossed out thinking about swimming in an indoor pool. Maybe it had to do with the LAFitness pool I last got in. It was way to warm, and the hot tub had tons of foam (body soil and surfactants=  )

These days pools give me the heebie jeebies.


----------



## LivingInPeace

winterinatl said:


> You know what...I used to be a competitive swimmer and lifeguard, and swim instructor. I love to swim.
> 
> However. Something has happened to me in the past 10 years or so. I get super grossed out thinking about swimming in an indoor pool. Maybe it had to do with the LAFitness pool I last got in. It was way to warm, and the hot tub had tons of foam (body soil and surfactants=  )
> 
> These days pools give me the heebie jeebies.


This is how I feel about pools. I took swimming lessons twice as a child but never learned how to swim. So I've thought about taking lessons as an adult, but the thought of being in a pool or a lake where other people's bodies and bodily fluids are running free makes me want to vomit. So I've decided that my solution is to stay on land at all times.


----------



## CarefreeinChicago

My mom signed me up for lessons when I was about 8 but I was mostly just playing in the water. I didn't learn until after I moved to Dallas and the Texas heat wasn't playing any games so me and some coworkers took classes at north lake community college.


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## CarefreeinChicago

My firs semester of high school we had a strike I was supposed to have swimming class so we moved to the suburbs and I told them I had it my first semester. I was not messing up my fresh perm.


----------



## Chromia

MzRhonda said:


> 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.


A couple of them here have an over $70 monthly family rate with a $75 joining fee.

Most of them around here are $50-55 monthly for families, with a $55 join fee.

Only 1 of the black neighborhoods here has a Y, and it has a $37 monthly family rate. That used to be the only one that wasn't open 7 days a week. They were closed on Sundays. Now they're open on Sundays, but just 1-5pm.


----------



## werenumber2

Kids had to take a swim test at my school and if you couldn't demonstrate the ability to go from point A to point B and float on your back, you had to take mandatory swim classes in the school pool until you learned. 

I'm the worst swimmer in my family but I know how to not drown so that's good enough for me.


----------



## winterinatl

LivingInPeace said:


> This is how I feel about pools. I took swimming lessons twice as a child but never learned how to swim. So I've thought about taking lessons as an adult, but the thought of being in a pool or a lake where other people's bodies and bodily fluids are running free makes me want to vomit. So I've decided that my solution is to stay on land at all times.


I liked your response but hate doing it because I want you to learn to swim. Please don't let my weirdness make yours worse! I should have added that once I get a suit on , and tie dipped in, I'm in CANNONBALL and have a ball. 

Then I scrub my tail down


----------



## douglala

I think it's more of an inner city issue. Growing up we only had access to community pools that were so packed that actual swimming was rarely done. We just stood around and played different games. There were no lap swim sections, there were no YMCA, no lakes, no schools with pools, etc so unless your parents put a conscious effort into getting you lessons outside of the neighborhood you were outta luck. Hence I never learned as a kid.

My 7 year old has been taking lessons for years. I MADE SURE she started as a toddler. She just started swimming competitively - her first meet is next week!


----------



## LivingInPeace

winterinatl said:


> I liked your response but hate doing it because I want you to learn to swim. Please don't let my weirdness make yours worse! I should have added that once I get a suit on , and tie dipped in, I'm in CANNONBALL and have a ball.
> 
> Then I scrub my tail down


I need to take lessons in a pool that was just cleaned and that only I and the instructor(maybe) are allowed to be in.


----------



## IronButterfly

KCcurly said:


> To many families, yes it is. Some kids don't have access to a computer and use an iPad for school. Educational apps are available.  I'm sure a lot are using it for snap chat and games, whatever, but that's not to say that it's a useless item.
> 
> Lakes are not going to be in the middle of a small town. You will have to travel to get there and even then they are probably on private property. I also would not expect children to learn how to swim, with_ parents who don't know how to swim_, in a lake where there is no lifeguard. And in MS there are probably poisonous snakes in the lake.
> 
> I'm not saying that they should just give up, but things are not black and white.
> 
> I'm sorry, but for my kids, the once a week swim lessons were not helpful. It was slow going. If you take into account that someone might have more than one child, it's even less helpful. Practice is what makes a good swimmer, generally speaking.
> 
> We disagree, and that's cool. I'm going by what I've seen and heard with my own eyes and ears. Maybe I'm more sensitive to it because I grew to care about those people and understand their situation. It's hard to break from cycles of poverty and fear.
> 
> A poor person who owns an xbox or iPad is not necessarily wasting all their money on frivolous things. However motivating it seems to say "forget the roadblocks",those roadblocks are still there. Sometimes people are doing the best that they can, with what they have.  Of course there are parents who could care less, but the ones who care ARE out there.


I'm going by what I've seen and experienced, too.  However, slow going is better than nothing and can yield some progress for those who want it.  Yes, every day is always better, but something is better than nothing.  Breaking any cycle is difficult, but can be done especially by people who stop believing things have to be easy.  

Thing is, there are over-achievers: They drive through the roadblocks; mid-achievers: they try to drive around the roadblock, may even move some of the obstacles out of the way as long as they aren't too heavy; and low-achievers: They see the roadblock, give up and go back home, then blame the roadblock for their failure.

We live in America.  A few years back while doing research, I asked a Somali woman why 98% of Somali all seem to have the same birthday, 01/01.  She said it was because they were so busy running from shrapnel and bombs, no one had the means to keep birth records because you never knew when you were going to have to RUN.  
Seems those people would have a hard time attaining anything, yet there are tons of Somali kids in the pool when I take my son to the Y.  Very few Americans face these dilemmas.
It all comes down to choices.  This family would rather buy xboxes, wiis, cable, etc.  That family would rather directly invest in their children.  

But let's say you still can't afford swim lessons as a child.  You can still take them as an adult if it's something you want.

I guess if I hadn't come from hard times, I could empathize with your pov.  But ppl I grew up with were losing because of their own choices.


----------



## MizAvalon

I can't swim. Not really sure why I wasn't taught since my grandfather was a lifeguard and all of his kids and just about every grandkid(except me) knows how to swim. My parents never made it a priority to teach me and by the time I was an adult, I was too afraid to learn.

I keep saying that I want to take lessons because I would love to snorkel and scuba on vacation, plus everyone should just know for their own personal safety.


----------



## MizAvalon

Oh, and is it really 70%? That number seems awfully high.


----------



## cocosweet

Neither of my parents swam, nor were they interested in learning. I took swimming in high school, but I don't think of myself as a strong swimmer. The fact that I HATE sticking my head in the water doesn't help. Dh swims like a fish, dd is coming along nicely, ds is scared of the water to the point dh cannot teach him. We will have to seek an instructor at the Y.

I also wanted to post the following info. I saw a flyer for it when we went to our community pool this past weekend.:

*Find a Local WLSL Event*
Are you a mom or dad looking for a fun, memorable way to teach your kids about being safer in and around the water? Well, we have the perfect event for you and your family -- The *World's Largest Swimming Lesson™* event set for *June 22nd*! This global event will take place at approximately 600 host locations in 20 countries. Our goal is to share the _Swimming Lessons Save Lives_*™* message with millions so that every man, woman or child learns to swim.

If you are interested in participating in a *World's Largest Swimming Lesson™* event in your community, we invite you to use the interactive map or the search tool below to find the Host Location closest to you. Once you've found a local event, click through to their website and learn more about when the event starts and ends. Remember, each Host Location gets to select their own start time on *June 22nd*, so you'll want to check out what's happening at your closest WLSL event!

Check the map below to see Host Locations that have signed up to participate in the WLSL in 2017. You may also use the search fields to search for a location by state, country, postal code or name of facility. Be sure to check back often to find new host facilities added in your area!

We are celebrating our eighth year of this worldwide event. This year's event on June 22nd is a great way to kick off the official start of summer in North America, a time when many head out to enjoy water recreational activities as a way to cool off during the hotter summer months. Of course, being safe in and around the water requires more than just swimming lessons. But, learning to swim and the exposure to the water safety skills and messages that swimmings lesson offers provides a lifelong foundation for drowning prevention.

This year TEAM WLSL™ will be setting its sights on a new goal -- reaching more than one billion with the message _Swimming Lesson Save Lives_™ by 2019. Local WLSL events will take place at hundreds of locations in more than 20 countries on five continents over the course of 24 hours.

By joining our voices together, members of TEAM WLSL™ believe that we can make a positive difference in the lives of children and adults around the world and drive home the message that learning to swim is as important to general safety as wearing a helmet when riding a bike or wearing a seat belt when riding in a car.

To find out where the event is taking place near you go here: http://www.wlsl.org/WLSL/For_Parent...spx?hkey=53edeb0c-770d-490a-abd4-bbfa5035511a


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## FelaShrine

HappilyLiberal said:


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



Exactly. where are they supposed to get the money from to keep everything intact?



Theresamonet said:


> M 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...*
> .



 Super lame.


----------



## winterinatl

LivingInPeace said:


> I need to take lessons in a pool that was just cleaned and that only I and the instructor(maybe) are allowed to be in.


They are usually cleanest early in the morning.


----------



## brownb83

my son can swim. We enrolled in lessons when he was smaller. He loves to swim, fun fact he taught DH how to swim last summer at Disney . 

notice I didn't say he taught me . I'm so scared to learn how to swim.


----------



## ava2

Good point @ArrrBeee 

Great tips in the videos about how to spot someone struggling and what to do to assist before it's too late.


----------



## Jas123

FlowerHair said:


> It's part of our school curriculum. If you can't swim by grade 6, you will not be moved up to grade 7.
> 
> DS' preschool gives the kids swimming classes, but he's not swimming well yet. We'll work on it this summer and have fun at the same time. I love water.


It was a part of my hs curriculum, freshman year as a matter of fact. You HAD to taking swimming and pass or you would fail P.E. and in the State of IL 4 years of P.E. is required to graduate hs.


----------



## Jas123

KCcurly said:


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


I think our Y here has pretty reasonable rates and also they offer low-income / sliding scale discounts.


----------



## Dellas

Racism ,and unsafe communities because of structural racism. Growing up I was less active outside due to fear. Can't walk around the park and get exercise and vitamin D due to fear.


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## EssenceOfBeauty

Like @FlowerHair mentioned, swimming was part of my school curriculum in Zambia. So everyone in class knew how to swim. We would get certificates for each level too. Like if you can pick up objects from the pool floor you got a black certificate which was the first one. Then each level got progressively harder like treading water for 5 minutes etc. Anyway, I swam in the country amateur league so fortunately I am teaching our kids how to swim myself.


----------



## MzRhonda

ScorpioBeauty09 said:


> My only biological uncle drowned at 13. My mom, his sister watched it happen and was powerless to do anything because she couldn't swim. She made sure all her children learned to swim and enrolled us in summer lessons early. I started when I was 4. Some of my best early childhood memories are going to summer school in the morning and then playing around until teachers would walk us to the pool a couple blocks away, especially on days we had free swim before lessons. I took lessons until just before HS and I trained for months and got a swim trophy at the end after diving in a 13 foot pool and bringing a brick up to the surface. I was so nervous because diving was something I really struggled with.


I got all the way to the Lifeguard lesson and we had to jump in the pool in all of our clothes and then take them off and use our pants as a flotation device by blowing the pants legs up, knotting them etc etc as well as being able to tred (sp) water for a certain amount of time and some other life saving procedures.


----------



## IslandMummy

IronButterfly said:


> 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.



Buses are not a thing unfortunately. When I was at school in philly I could catch a bus, the trolley, the sub, taxis, Amtrak anything. Moved to SC? If you don't have a car you are screwed. Even something as simple as a Bi-Lo or Winn Dixie can be a good hour walk.

Charleston has a public transportation system but it is inadequate. Hilton Head? You're looking at $20+ one way for a taxi ride, forget public transportation all together. The little towns out in the middle of nowhere? Please. Some parents worked two hours away from home and had to take the commuter bus to and from work. Four hours everyday on a bus. There are very few 9-5 Monday to Friday jobs in a tourist trap. Hotels are 24/7, restaurants are open 7 days, even banks are no longer 9-5. I'm not going to begrudge the poor and/or working class in rural areas who would rather an iPad over swimming lessons their kids will probably never use. That's a simple cost benefit analysis. If you live closer to a metro area something's are not impossible to access but when you live in Tumbleweed, USA? Nah.

In the county I live now if someone tells me they can't swim, they'd get an IMMEDIATE side eye from hell. Swim coupons are issued for kids 4 and under and every single town has a community center with a pool. Plus not only does the county have public transportation but most of the towns have shuttle services. Every child in kindergarten has to take swimming lessons mandated through the district. If the school doesn't have a pool, they bus them to the town's pool to learn.


----------



## BGT

I actually taught myself how to swim when I was 8. I got in the shallow end of the pool, and just doggy paddled like I saw on TV.


----------



## IronButterfly

IslandMummy said:


> Buses are not a thing unfortunately. When I was at school in philly I could catch a bus, the trolley, the sub, taxis, Amtrak anything. Moved to SC? If you don't have a car you are screwed. Even something as simple as a Bi-Lo or Winn Dixie can be a good hour walk.
> 
> Charleston has a public transportation system but it is inadequate. Hilton Head? You're looking at $20+ one way for a taxi ride, forget public transportation all together. The little towns out in the middle of nowhere? Please. Some parents worked two hours away from home and had to take the commuter bus to and from work. Four hours everyday on a bus. There are very few 9-5 Monday to Friday jobs in a tourist trap. Hotels are 24/7, restaurants are open 7 days, even banks are no longer 9-5. I'm not going to begrudge the poor and/or working class in rural areas who would rather an iPad over swimming lessons their kids will probably never use. That's a simple cost benefit analysis. If you live closer to a metro area something's are not impossible to access but when you live in Tumbleweed, USA? Nah.
> 
> In the county I live now if someone tells me they can't swim, they'd get an IMMEDIATE side eye from hell. Swim coupons are issued for kids 4 and under and every single town has a community center with a pool. Plus not only does the county have public transportation but most of the towns have shuttle services. Every child in kindergarten has to take swimming lessons mandated through the district. If the school doesn't have a pool, they bus them to the town's pool to learn.


But none of this has anything to do with the original post blaming what went on in 1950 for the lack of swimming among blacks today.  
If ppl choose to live in rural areas void of transportation, that's on them.   They are not trapped.  But segregation is no longer a relevant factor when it comes to learning to swim or accessing a swimming pool.

I recently saw a short news report of a little boy living in rural South America who walked two hours everyday to school both ways.  The human spirit is amazing when it really wants something.


----------



## Bronxcutie

Swimming lessons for me and my four-year old daughter is a must this summer.  I hated that I went to Jamaica and just posed in the water but didn't get in it! Lmao!  My daughter is mild on the autism spectrum so it's doubly important since the drowning rates are so high amongst autistic children.


----------



## Miss617

I learned how to swim growing up. I've forgotten most of it over the years, but I can keep myself from drowning. Same for DH, he can do just enough to stay alive but that's about it. I want my son to take lessons but we have other stuff we need to work on first before we can even think about that.


----------



## Dellas

Local universities will teach you to swim for 20-30 dollars per sessions. I paid for 4 sessions a month as an adult. Very affordable.  Next thing is to learn to drive a stick.


----------



## Duchesse

I felt like such a loser a couple summers ago that I spent with my friend and her family in Tobago. I was the only one who couldn't swim (im from queens and my parents don't swim either). I told myself that that's the last time that would happen. 

I haven't started yet, but now that I have a son I definitely want him to not have a fear of water. Plus, there's so many free pools down here including one at my job so I have no excuse.


----------



## aquajoyice

It was a requirement for me to learn to swim in high school and now I make sure that my son takes lessons. It could be a life saving skill.


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

Chromia said:


> That reminds me of this Inside Edition story about what to do if you see someone drowning, and how easy it is to not notice that someone is drowning because people drown quietly in real life instead of yelling and splashing like they do in the movies and on TV.
> 
> And this story showing 3 kids who were drowning (it's okay to watch - the video also shows all 3 kids being rescued by lifeguards) and how the other people in the water didn't notice.



I almost drowned in a wave pool  I'd just had some lessons and decided I was doing well enough to go into the deep area. My friend, who took swim lessons with me, said she saw my head bobbing up and down and reached out to me, but couldn't reach me. She said the lifeguards were signaling each other and almost jumped in to get me, when I managed to struggle my way back to the shallow end  After that, I told my friend that I needed to get back in the deep end because my fear would be too great if I didn't. She gave me the side eye right before the life guard saw me heading to the deep end and blew his whistle at me  



Bronxcutie said:


> Swimming lessons for me and my four-year old daughter is a must this summer.  I hated that I went to Jamaica and just posed in the water but didn't get in it! Lmao!  My daughter is mild on the autism spectrum so it's doubly important since the drowning rates are *so high amongst autistic children.*


I didn't know this!


----------



## Chromia

KCcurly said:


> I almost drowned in a wave pool  I'd just had some lessons and decided I was doing well enough to go into the deep area. My friend, who took swim lessons with me, said she saw my head bobbing up and down and reached out to me, but couldn't reach me. She said the lifeguards were signaling each other and almost jumped in to get me, when I managed to struggle my way back to the shallow end  After that, I told my friend that I needed to get back in the deep end because my fear would be too great if I didn't. She gave me the side eye right before the life guard saw me heading to the deep end and blew his whistle at me


You went from  to trying to get back in the deep end like and the lifeguard was like .


----------



## BEAUTYU2U

Non-swimmer.

It was required to graduate high school but someone clearly wasn't paying attention and I wasn't about to remind them when I noticed my last semester that I hadn't been put in the class.

I wouldn't do this to my future children. I'd put them in lessons immediately. My mom dropped the ball on swimming lessons and getting us baptized. I almost drowned when I was about 6.  I'd say the majority of black people I know do not swim.

ETA: I'm surprised no one mentioned a possible spiritual reason for black people and water.  I'm just saying.


----------



## Enyo

I can swim. I remember I was the only girl in my troop that got a swimmers badge. The rest of the mother's declined to let their girls participate because they didn't want to have to redo their hair. And, no, I'm not joking.


----------



## Femmefatal1981

Enyo said:


> I can swim. I remember I was the only girl in my troop that got a swimmers badge. The rest of the mother's declined to let their girls participate because they didn't want to have to redo their hair. And, no, I'm not joking.


I have 2 girls and I get it. We went to the beach 2 weekends in a row and my mom was like wth are you going to do about their hair? Wash, brush and go. They are kids, not porcelain dolls. On the flip side my oldest has her "moving up ceremony" this week then a class pool party 2 hrs later. Clearly there was no black women involved in the planning of this party. Swimming and special events on the same day are a black girl no no. So she will be wearing 2 french braids to the ceremony and pool party, THEN we will go get her hair braided for real later in the week.


----------



## TopShelf

I learned how to swim in college for some needed credit. The instructor was a horrible middle-aged white man, he kept making fun of the fact that he taught 8 years old children who were fearless unlike us.  I cut all of my hair off so hair was never an issue. The class was full of adult black women all over the age of 30 who also could not swim. 

I would not call myself a swimmer because I can not tell you the last time that I swam, so I plan on taking some personal lessons.


----------



## msbettyboop

I tried desperately to learn how to swim when I was a kid but my mother forbade us so I would just stare at other kids learning; very very sad. She didn't want us to drown and refused to accept that the obvious way to prevent that is to actually allow us learn swimmming.

As soon as I was old enough with time, I learned how to swim and it was hard. I'm still not perfect but at least I can waddle in water now. It's going to be a long time before I can swim properly in the ocean. 

If I ever have kids, making sure they learn swimming will be top of the list.


----------



## nathansgirl1908

Meh. I think these articles/studi s are becoming like those articles/studies about how Nlack men are the most single women on the planet. After a time, it gets old. 

My parents could swim. I took swimming classes in my youth and in college. I'm still not a good swimmer. So even though I will enjoy my aunt's pool in the shallow end, I don't get into the deep end. I also don't get into lakes and ponds.   Many of the drownings in our local lakes aren't the result of not knowing how to swim. It's the result of certain aspects of the lake that would probably pull even the best swimmer under.  Not to mention the snakes and flesh-eating bacteria.


----------



## nyeredzi

Swimming was part of my 9th grade public school physical education class. I had had swimming lessons before then, but I learned a lot more then, including different strokes. It should be a part of all public school PE in my opinion. I'm not a strong swimmer or anything, but I'm not going to drown in a pool. Now an ocean with currents still scares me.

My toddler is poorly behaved and we had to remove her from the swimming class she was in before  I've now registered her for another one where the parent is in the pool with her, so that should fix that issue. She starts this Saturday. These classes are offered affordably through the county, $60 for 8 lessons. Swimming lessons is something that can be expensive, and wherever money is a factor, black people will have less access. I'm happy to report that the swimming lessons through the county are absolutely filled with black children, at least at the large swimming complex we went to. The classes looked about 70-80% black. Actually, these classes fill up super fast, so the demand is greater than access. Other swimming classes are far and/or expensive.


----------



## Zaz

BEAUTYU2U said:


> ETA: I'm surprised no one mentioned a possible spiritual reason for black people and water.  I'm just saying.


Would you care to elaborate? Don't think I've ever heard of a spiritual reason keeping black people from water.

Swimmer here, but grew up on an island. We had a pool at the house so all my cousins are swimmers as well and I can't really think of anyone I know who doesn't know how to swim. It was a requirement in high school not to learn because they assumed we knew the basics, but to learn different strokes and improve our stamina/speed...

I realise we're not the norm, but living on an island, going to the beach and having pool parties constitute about 80% of our fun  I've signed up for an open water charity swim (10 miles) and have gone swimming with sharks, so feel pretty comfortable in ocean or pool, which I'm pretty happy about


----------



## Covagirlm

I can do a lilllll something something and I'm always in someone's ocean or pool. I should take lessons.


----------



## B_Phlyy

Both my parents know how to swim and so do me and my brothers.  My parents learned when they were teens and I learned when I was 6/7. My aunts and cousins don't know how to swim but their children do. If I'm ever blessed with children,  I hope to get them in the baby classes and then moving up from their.


----------



## discodumpling

I am from an island with 365 beaches...best believe I know how to swim! Not Olympic style..but a sister ain't gonna drown easily!


----------



## DarkJoy

Thats how we were taught in our black neighborhood. go to the public pool around the corner and family or friends just threw you in to figure it out.

i actually shelled out a lot of cash to send my dd to swimming for 5 years. she's now at competitive level.


Thump said:


> 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.


----------



## pinkchocolatedaisy

I am at like the suuuuper beginner level of swimming.  And this I learned about 5 years ago. Basically I can move with my face under water lol and get from one end to another.  And that's hard as heck.  Anything else, involving my head above water I struggle lol.

Swimming lessons are not cheap in my area and I need something one on one that is more than once a week. This is my goal for this year.  I have 3 kiddos.  My two older kids are good. My daughter is a great swimmer.


----------



## dancinstallion

So I just signed dd and ds up for the free houston parks swim lessons. Those few slots at the park were gone in 6 mins. I had to set my alarm so I didnt miss it. 

So ds and dd have 2 free weeks and 4 paid weeks of lessons. And I'll take them to a pool to practice a few times a week. 
Dd has been told she has the potential to be a very good swimmer so i want her to start taking lessons all year.


----------



## naturalgyrl5199

BillsBackerz67 said:


> 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'm putting my 3 year old in it. Its expensive....like--car payment expensive...and the hours are not jiving with my work schedule. I gotta figure something out... and Yep... Its the kind of class where if the baby falls in the water by accident, they can kick and float themselves to the top. Its a REALLY specific certification and hard to find someone local. We are in Florida so it is  a must. The local class that's like $35/class ain't ISH. A baby we watched grow from 6 days old to 3 years old drowned the other summer. My whole office was BROKEN. That mama brought her son to us every day to learn to nurse. She loved that boy to pieces and her family was giving her a hard time about being a single mom...UGH...

We are from South Florida. Learning to swim at the local pool in the hood was a Rite of Passage. My baby sister was the youngest to learn...I was 10, my brother was 8 and she was 4. She was in my brother's class by the end of the summer.


----------



## naturalgyrl5199

KCcurly said:


> 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.


Being from Florida everyone knew that you rocked small box braids that lasted 8-10 weeks in the summer. That way mama didn't have to worry about that. We ALL knew---hey....over the summer we going to the pool in so and so community or this community to learn to swim. Or headed to Orlando for the theme parks or the local water parks. At-home braiders STAYED busy in May and June. Extra bonus cause everyone had a hair growth spurt when school started in August.


----------



## naturalgyrl5199

DeepBluSea said:


> 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


In my area if your family receives food stamps or Medicaid, all the local community sports are FREE. Cheerleading too. You can get assistance with uniforms to a point. In HS we fundraised all the time. I attended a predominately black HS and many of the very talented kids in all area were poor. So we fundraised. Our little community came out. We raised thousands a year.


----------



## discodumpling

dancinstallion said:


> So I just signed dd and ds up for the free houston parks swim lessons. Those few slots at the park were gone in 6 mins. I had to set my alarm so I didnt miss it.
> 
> So ds and dd have 2 free weeks and 4 paid weeks of lessons. And I'll take them to a pool to practice a few times a week.
> Dd has been told she has the potential to be a very good swimmer so i want her to start taking lessons all year.



Yes! Free swim programs abound! We have one here compliments of the NYC Parks Dept. Slots are awarded via a lottery several times per year.


----------



## PJaye

I get it, but I have absolutely no interest in swimming and it has nothing to do with hair or bodily fluids, or whatever.  I just don't find splashing around in water to be entertaining; I never did.  More power to those that enjoy it.


----------



## HappilyLiberal

naturalgyrl5199 said:


> In my area if your family receives food stamps or Medicaid, all the local community sports are FREE. Cheerleading too. You can get assistance with uniforms to a point. In HS we fundraised all the time. I attended a predominately black HS and many of the very talented kids in all area were poor. So we fundraised. Our little community came out. We raised thousands a year.



Girl... around here, their idea of fundraising is to put basketball jersey's (because it's always a basketball team) on the kids and have them begging passing motorists for coins at intersections!


----------



## nyeredzi

naturalgyrl5199 said:


> Being from Florida everyone knew that you rocked small box braids that lasted 8-10 weeks in the summer. That way mama didn't have to worry about that. We ALL knew---hey....over the summer we going to the pool in so and so community or this community to learn to swim. Or headed to Orlando for the theme parks or the local water parks. At-home braiders STAYED busy in May and June. Extra bonus cause everyone had a hair growth spurt when school started in August.


Yeah, this is why I don't think of braids, even with extensions, as being a vanity thing for kids. The ones with extensions in my opinion last longer and tangle less. They are functional. I went to summer camp in Compton for many years, through Compton Parks & Recreation, it was all black, and we went swimming every week. Maybe not everyone was a good swimmer, but going every week in the summer, you at least learned enough not to drown. And braids meant you didn't have to keep getting your hair done over and over.


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

HappilyLiberal said:


> Girl... around here, their idea of fundraising is the put basketball jersey's (because it's always a basketball team) on the kids and have them begging passing motorists for coins at intersections!



This gets the immediate side eye from me. At least have the kids wash cars or sell something.


----------



## Femmefatal1981

nyeredzi said:


> Yeah, this is why I don't think of braids, even with extensions, as being a vanity thing for kids. The ones with extensions in my opinion last longer and tangle less. They are functional. I went to summer camp in Compton for many years, through Compton Parks & Recreation, it was all black, and we went swimming every week. Maybe not everyone was a good swimmer, but going every week in the summer, you at least learned enough not to drown. And braids meant you didn't have to keep getting your hair done over and over.


We are all getting summer braids as we speak, lol.


----------



## Royalq

Alot of black kids have no pools nearby. Black people from the island have way more swimmers. Growing up I only encountered beaches and water once a year when we had a cook out at the state park. I always went to the kiddy pool because i was scared of the pool. I lived in an apartment with no pools around. It wasnt until my parents bought a house when i was about 10 and my dad bought a above ground swimming pool. We were in there all day in the summer and I eventually self-taught how to swim and my dad taught me how to float on my back. Aside from my own back yard there wasnt a pool for miles. So many AAs simple dont encounter pools enough.


----------



## rabs77

I learnt how to swim aged about 9 but that was an anomaly, especially as a girl, because Ghanaian parents do not care for water and swimming  at all for fear of drowning. My mom was pretty liberal and had to fight my grandma to allow us to go to the pool. It was only ever us and a few other black kids in the pool. Rest were always expats. I think things are gradually changing now.


----------



## Zaynab

I grew up swimming and love the water. My boys started swimming as babies. I've always had a pool. I live my whole summers swimming or in the water


----------



## Cheleigh

Thanks for the reminder to sign-up again for swim lessons for my kid. She took them last year at 3, and is now again enrolled at 4. She'll probably do two sessions this year if possible. Cost for group lessons is very reasonable here. My DH is a solid swimmer. I cannot tread water (can get from point A to B and can float), so I can't swim. Hope to rectify that this summer.


----------



## WhoIAm

For those in the SE/SW Houston area, Aquatic Academy owned by a bm. They are really good and she/ her instructors teach out of her home pool mostly which is what I was looking for this time around. I tried the franchises and the community pools and this is my favorite so far.


----------



## HappilyLiberal

KCcurly said:


> This gets the immediate side eye from me. At least have the kids wash cars or sell something.



    

I refuse to give them a dime on general principle!


----------



## RUBY

WhoIAm said:


> My kids take swimming lessons but I don't swim yet. My priority was always to get them swimming and then worry about myself. I'll do it sometime this year, but *honestly public pools gross me out.*




The bolded is so true for me. Some people are so nasty and I don't want to be swimming and possibly ingesting their in their juices.


----------



## naturalgyrl5199

HappilyLiberal said:


> Girl... around here, their idea of fundraising is the put basketball jersey's (because it's always a basketball team) on the kids and have them begging passing motorists for coins at intersections!


Yeah that's dangerous. But our band actually did that the same day we had a big car wash. We raised $2K in 6 hours. We were not allowed to do that anymore. But the car wash was a hit. We needed to do something different. Cause selling candy and treats were falling out of favor.  So we went to the local flea market/swap meet in the hood...donned our HS band t-shirts and got to washing. Someone just got the idea to kind of panhandle. But our community is poor but loved us...and came through. Even sent more people later. And my HS is 100 years old...historically black. It felt so good. So good. We did a BBQ at another. My people love BBQ.


----------



## Femmefatal1981

naturalgyrl5199 said:


> Yeah that's dangerous. But our band actually did that the same day we had a big car wash. We raised $2K in 6 hours. We were not allowed to do that anymore. But the car wash was a hit. We needed to do something different. Cause selling candy and treats were falling out of favor.  So we went to the local flea market/swap meet in the hood...donned our HS band t-shirts and got to washing. Someone just got the idea to kind of panhandle. But our community is poor but loved us...and came through. Even sent more people later. And my HS is 100 years old...historically black. It felt so good. So good. We did a BBQ at another. My people love BBQ.


I should have known you went there!


----------



## Kanky

My little ones are taking swimming lessons this summer. The moms at preschool recommended this swim instructor who claims that your kid will be swimming well in a week or your money back. She is expensive, but I don't want to have to take them to the other classes that last for weeks.


----------



## Farida

Swimming was part of the curriculum in my school in Kenya.


----------



## brg240

IronButterfly said:


> 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.


Um it takes the bus 50 min to get to my job and it requires me to walk a mile. I live 13 min from my job. It takes 1.5 hrs to get to my old church 20 min away. Public transport isn't great everywhere.
Also, everyone isn't spending like that. I used to work for a tutoring company that worked for low income families and we'd give laptops out. Other companies would give iPads or pay a bill.

Also if I'm choosing between swimming and the internet I'm choosing the internet. There is a terrible technology gap between the poor and middle class/rich that hinders kids in school.


----------



## IronButterfly

brg240 said:


> Also i*f I'm choosing between swimming and the internet I'm choosing the internet*. There is a terrible technology gap between the poor and middle class/rich that hinders kids in school.


Then your inability not to swim isn't a symptom of racism, but of your own personal choices.
I am very well of the technology gap between different economic structures in school.  I've seen them with my own eyes.  However, a good education isn't reliant on the latest iPad.  Funny, poor folks all over can afford iPhones with cameras capturing every silly selfie or instances of police brutality.  Most "poor" ppl I know have NEVER had a problem affording the latest gadgets.  YET the same individuals are hindered in school because of a technological gap?  I'm more inclined to believe the hindrance is either something that comes from a less than supportive home environment or personal choices.  Granted, upper middle/rich class kids have immediate access to things poor kids may not, but, from my experience, poor kids tend to have crappier attitudes which probably contributes to their failures.
Remember, poor kids today are rich compared to the poor kids from days gone by.


----------



## IronButterfly

brg240 said:


> Um it takes the bus 50 min to get to my job and it requires me to walk a mile. I live 13 min from my job. It takes 1.5 hrs to get to my old church 20 min away. Public transport isn't great everywhere.
> .


When I was a child, my mother and I had to catch the bus an hour to the grocery store and back.  Sometimes she didn't have the 5 cents for the bus fare, so we had to walk, carrying heavy groceries and all.  I remember often having to take a rest several times on the way home at 8, 9, 10 years old and her getting mad and telling to me to plow through.  "We're almost there!"  she'd say.
In junior high and high school, it took me over an hour to get to school and back on the bus.  At one point in high school, I had to catch a bus, the train, and the bus to school.  Two hours!

Oh, and then when I lived briefly with my grandmother, I had to walk two miles in freezing weather just to get to work for lack of bus.  

So, yeah.  Tell me something I don't already know.  I grew up on the bus.  We do what we need to do.  And yet, somehow I learned to swim and have internet.


----------



## brg240

IronButterfly said:


> When I was a child, my mother and I had to catch the bus an hour to the grocery store and back.  Sometimes she didn't have the 5 cents for the bus fare, so we had to walk, carrying heavy groceries and all.  I remember often having to take a rest several times on the way home at 8, 9, 10 years old and her getting mad and telling to me to plow through.  "We're almost there!"  she'd say.
> In junior high and high school, it took me over an hour to get to school and back on the bus.  At one point in high school, I had to catch a bus, the train, and the bus to school.  Two hours!
> 
> Oh, and then when I lived briefly with my grandmother, I had to walk two miles in freezing weather just to get to work for lack of bus.
> 
> So, yeah.  Tell me something I don't already know.  I grew up on the bus.  We do what we need to do.  And yet, somehow I learned to swim and have internet.


Lol okay I'm glad you have pulled yourself up by your boot straps and have figured everything out


----------



## IronButterfly

brg240 said:


> Lol okay I'm glad you have pulled yourself up by your boot straps *and have figured everything out*


Somebody had to!


----------



## yaya24

nysister said:


> I've taken swimming lessons and I've swam in a pool, but I still wouldn't say I swim. It's a skill like most things that has to be done repetitively. We've thought of putting a pool in but haven't. I've friends with pools and I should practice there, but I haven't. At this point I know it's on me. I come from a family of non-swimmers.


This is my story too


----------



## Enyo

For me, swimming is a pleasure, but I think everyone should learn to float, tread, and doggie paddle as a means of survival.  If you fall into a body of water that is too deep to stand, you need basic skills to either get to the nearest exit point or stay buoyant until a rescuer can get you. It also increases confidence. Knowing that you can preserve your own life while in/near the water makes everything more enjoyable at pools, beaches, on boats, etc.

If I'm ever fool enough to have a baby, my child will be in infant swim/ISR classes ASAP.


----------



## cocosweet

Since summer began, my ds has gone from not being able to stick his head in the water without throwing a hissy fit to treading water and dog paddling.

My daughter has gone from only staying in shallow end to jumping of the diving board although she has had lessons she is still a beginner level swimmer but her comfort in the water has increased a lot. She took lessons a couple of years ago, but she and her instructor clashed. That can sour a child on learning how to swim too. Dh just kept taking them to the pool and tried to show them things.

I am taking swim lessons through a nearby community center. I am showing the kids what I learn when I go practice. It's only for two weeks, but I have learned more than I did in two semesters of high school. I paid $50 for 8 1/2 hour classes but since my instructor teaches three classes back to back she lets us stay for the next session too. Win!
It's hard work but it's been worth it.


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

*4-Year-Old Girl And Her Grandfather Drown In Backyard Pool*

*BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A 4-year-old girl and her grandfather drowned in a backyard pool Thursday afternoon in Anne Arundel County.

The drowning happened in the unit block of Jamar Dr. in Severna Park, and the two were swimming in a neighbor’s pool after getting permission to use it.

The Anne Arundel County Fire Department said there were other children there at the time of the drownings.

The 4-year-old reportedly jumped into the deep end of the pool, but she did not know how to swim.

Other children noticed she was at the bottom of the pool and told her grandfather, who also didn’t know how to swim. He then jumped in to try and save her.

The other children ran across the street to get other family members, who immediately call 911 after seeing the two at the bottom of the pool.

“They alerted the male that was watching them. He jumped into the pool but unfortunately did not know how to swim and began to get into some distress himself,” said Lt. Jen McKee of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. “And the fire department immediately pulled both of the victims out of the pool, they aggressively tried to resuscitate both of them, but unfortunately by the time they got to the hospital and the hospital tried to resuscitate them, they weren’t successful.”

The two were taken to a hospital after being removed from the pool, but were later pronounced dead.

Recent statistics show 245 people drowned in Maryland in a five-year period.

“Very sad, very very tragic. Just thinking of the family and prayers to them,” said Carmen Collins of Severna Park.

Police have not released the names of the victims. They want to make sure family members are notified first.

The police department said homicide detectives were on scene, but the investigation is now closed because it’s clear this was an accident.


*


----------



## OhTall1

Quoting myself...


OhTall1 said:


> I contacted a swim coach for personal lessons but things got busy this year. I'll probably try her again in the fall.


I thought of this thread earlier.  Today was my first private swimming lesson.  I paid for 8 weekly lessons, and I hope to be comfortable enough to start swimming for fitness this summer.


----------



## Theresamonet

OhTall1 said:


> Quoting myself...
> 
> I thought of this thread earlier.  Today was my first private swimming lesson.  I paid for 8 weekly lessons, and I hope to be comfortable enough to start swimming for fitness this summer.



Yay! How was your first lesson? 

I still can’t _truly_ swim after my lessons earlier last year, but I have the basics down now. And the biggest difference is that I’m a lot more comfortable and relaxed in the water. I was able to enjoy myself on my trip to Hawaii in October, which is what I was prepping for. I plan to keep taking lessons until I can swim like a mermaid.


----------



## OhTall1

Theresamonet said:


> Yay! How was your first lesson?
> 
> I still can’t _truly_ swim after my lessons earlier last year, but I have the basics down now.


It was great! I'm also trying to get the basics down.
I could already float a little, so I'm not completely afraid to be in the water.  She focused on getting me comfortable with having my face in the water and on how to kick.  By the end of the first lesson, I was able to go a short distance using one of those barbell floaty things.  I'm not used to being in the water, so it didn't occur to me until the end of the class that I had on goggles and could keep my eyes open.     That's when I realized that I was actually propelling myself forward without the instructor's help.


----------



## Theresamonet

OhTall1 said:


> It was great! I'm also trying to get the basics down.
> I could already float a little, so I'm not completely afraid to be in the water.  She focused on getting me comfortable with having my face in the water and on how to kick.  By the end of the first lesson, I was able to go a short distance using one of those barbell floaty things.  I'm not used to being in the water, so it didn't occur to me until the end of the class that I had on goggles and could keep my eyes open.     That's when I realized that I was actually propelling myself forward without the instructor's help.



That sounds like a great first day! At my first lesson I discovered that I could float perfectly (I’d never tried before). That made things easier, but a lot of time was spent making me put my head underwater.  

Good luck!


----------



## Kiadodie

It was part of the curriculum to learn to swim and that was in Elementary school. It’s weird to me that a lost of black people don’t know how to swim. My elementary school was mixed BTW.


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

Kiadodie said:


> It was part of the curriculum to learn to swim and that was in Elementary school. It’s weird to me that a lost of black people don’t know how to swim. My elementary school was mixed BTW.


Curious, what region did you grow up in?


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

OhTall1 said:


> It was great! I'm also trying to get the basics down.
> I could already float a little, so I'm not completely afraid to be in the water.  She focused on getting me comfortable with having my face in the water and on how to kick.  By the end of the first lesson, I was able to go a short distance using one of those barbell floaty things.  I'm not used to being in the water, so it didn't occur to me until the end of the class that I had on goggles and could keep my eyes open.     That's when I realized that I was actually propelling myself forward without the instructor's help.


Haha, you sound like you’re doing great!


----------



## Saravana

For me one of the things keeping me from being a decent swimmer is the hair issue. I can hardly get a swim cap to cover my head. SOLUTION!: i  found a black owned company that makes swim caps large enough for some of us naturals.   SWIMMA

I think it is based in South Africa, so for those of us in the US, here is a place where we can order: We Buy Black

And here is a youtube review of Swimma!  I can't wait for my Swimma to arrive!


----------



## Blessed&higlyflavoured

My mum taught me and my sisters how to swim. My dad taught her how to swim. We regularly went to the pool either with school or as a fun family activity. 
Even though I would say I'm a competent swimmer I still have been caught out a few times! 
The wrong wave hitting,  or being uncoordinated with your movements. Strong swimmers drown too. 
But make it a priority. Swimming is important. If someone said to you they don't run or walk you'd look at them funny


----------



## Blessed&higlyflavoured

The ladies who are making it a priority to learn are just wow... 
Go for It


----------



## jerseyhaircare

My 2 year old and 4 have been enrolled in swimming lessons since September. It is a private company and the lessons are indefinite. I have seen a lot of progress in the past few months-my little one can float and backstroke and the oldest can freestyle across the pool without a swim vest and knows how to tread water. I think I'm going to keep the lessons till the summer, then I'll try to find someone that will come to my complex to accelerate the lessons. It's extra time out of my weekend but their progress and water awareness have been worth the investment.


----------



## FemmeCreole

DD enjoys the pool. Since my last post in this thread, she’s had 2 more rounds of lessons when she was two.


----------



## spacetygrss

Kiadodie said:


> It was part of the curriculum to learn to swim and that was in Elementary school. It’s weird to me that a lost of black people don’t know how to swim. My elementary school was mixed BTW.


Ditto. Except middle school since it was 6th grade.
We had to learn to swim right along with tennis,  golf and bowling (yes, bowling). I went to a racially mixed school.

That said, I already knew how to swim when we started because my Mom enrolled me in swimming lessons when I was 8 or 9 at the YMCA. Both of my kids have taken swimming lessons since they were toddlers. They can both swim just about any way you ask them to at this point.


----------



## cocosweet

I’m thinking about retaking the swim class again this summer. My swim stamina suuucks. I get halfway down the length of the pool and I get exhausted and need to roll onto my back and float this rest of the way.


----------



## IslandMummy

This thread was bumped today and now boy child is asking to go to the pool


----------



## LoneStarGirl

We've had our daughters in swim classes since they were old enough to take lessons at the YMCA. 

Unfortunately where we live now, there is no YMCA, but what makes up for it, is that there is a swim team aquatics program. They are both on the swim team (different teams, based on their swim level ability).

They practice 3 times a week and compete against other teams in our state. My youngest is in a lower level than my 12y/o, but just moved up to the advanced group in her level.


----------



## intellectualuva

I got lessons last year using my ex bf Y membership. I am still not completely comfortable with the face in the water, so I will be taking more 1 on 1 lessons when I get back home. 

No one in my family...alive at least....can swim. I nearly drowned twice as a kid and became too afraid. 

It was nice getting those lessons last year, so I could really enjoy "swimming" when we went to Jamaica.


----------



## intellectualuva

I wish I trusted getting summer braids, but me hair is so fine and fragile that I'm afraid I will be bald when all is said and done from heavy braids.


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

FemmeCreole said:


> DD enjoys the pool. Since my last post in this thread, she’s had 2 more rounds of lessons when she was two.



I need to get my little one swimming better. Last summer we spent the time trying to just get him not to be terrified of putting his head underwater and being in the water in general. My other 2 are in swim team so they swim year round, thank goodness. 


IslandMummy said:


> This thread was bumped today and now boy child is asking to go to the pool


LOL, we went and swam today.


----------



## RoseofLily

I have been wanting to take swim classes since I was a little girl. Always asking my mom if I can have swim lessons,she said Yes everytime but didn't get them. My daughter' got taught by their dad. Now my middle daughter is on her schools swim team.


----------



## dancinstallion

dancinstallion said:


> So I just signed dd and ds up for the free houston parks swim lessons. Those few slots at the park were gone in 6 mins. I had to set my alarm so I didnt miss it.
> 
> So ds and dd have 2 free weeks and 4 paid weeks of lessons. And I'll take them to a pool to practice a few times a week.
> Dd has been told she has the potential to be a very good swimmer so i want her to start taking lessons all year.



 this worked out really well over the summer for us. I signed up for more free lessons and my kids became good /comfortable swimmers. All they did was swim all last summer. The paid lessons were well with it because it taught so much in a short period of time and had only 3-4 students per instructor. The free lessons were mainly practice for them because they had learned the strokes in the paid classes and there were about 10-11 students per instructor.  Ds isn't afraid of water any more. Yay!! They had fun at both the free and paid classes

I want dd to join a swim team.


----------



## Saravana

Saravana said:


> For me one of the things keeping me from being a decent swimmer is the hair issue. I can hardly get a swim cap to cover my head. SOLUTION!: i  found a black owned company that makes swim caps large enough for some of us naturals.   SWIMMA
> 
> I think it is based in South Africa, *so for those of us in the US, here is a place where we can order: We Buy Black*



My apologies to anyone who may have ordered through that We Buy Black company i  mentioned as a result of my post.

Sub par and unacceptable customer service.  

First time and last time i am ordering from them.  I will find another way to get my Swimmas caps.


----------



## intellectualuva

Saravana said:


> My apologies to anyone who may have ordered through that We Buy Black company i  mentioned as a result of my post.
> 
> Sub par and unacceptable customer service.
> 
> First time and last time i am ordering from them.  I will find another way to get my Swimmas caps.



Glad you updated I left that tab open to order when I get back home.


----------



## Saravana

intellectualuva said:


> Glad you updated I left that tab open to order when I get back home.



I am giving up on WeBuyBlack and I am now directly dealing with the South Africa based company. So far they have been very responsive. I will keep you posted.


----------



## Enyo

Saravana said:


> My apologies to anyone who may have ordered through that We Buy Black company i  mentioned as a result of my post.
> 
> Sub par and unacceptable customer service.
> 
> First time and last time i am ordering from them.  I will find another way to get my Swimmas caps.


 Did you let the company know? It’s also important we let them know where the room for improvement is.


----------



## Saravana

Enyo said:


> Did you let the company know? It’s also important we let them know where the room for improvement is.



I have sent numerous emails to WeBuyBlack and have only received generic auto-generated emails replies acknowledging reception of emails. Nothing else.

At this point, I am cool with it. it just means another company who has their act together is going to get my money.  As it should be.


----------



## Saravana

This past week I received my Swimma cap!!!  

Bypassing WeBuyBlack, the south African company sent it to me directly from one of their other US affiliates. I have been so busy I have not even had the chance to go to the pool to put it to the test, but I shall next week. So far, the fit is great. 

Guys if you want the cap, just order directly from the makers  SWIMMA


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

Bumping this thread.

A 21 year old AA man drowned in my area recently.

Interesting PDF about disparities in drowning related deaths. 

https://www.lib.washington.edu/commons/events/scholarsstudio/past/water/cook-slides

Ages 5-14: 3 times more African Americans drown than do whites
• Ages 11-12: 10 times more African Americans drown in swimming pools than do whites
• Fewer minorities learn to swim compared to whites
• Twice as many AAs report being unable to swim compared to whites
AA adolescent girls report higher fear of swimming than any other racial group
• AA parents more fearful of their children drowning compared to white parents
• Swimming has become an activity of privilege
• Perceived to be a “white activity”


----------



## IslandMummy

Saravana said:


> This past week I received my Swimma cap!!!
> 
> Bypassing WeBuyBlack, the south African company sent it to me directly from one of their other US affiliates. I have been so busy I have not even had the chance to go to the pool to put it to the test, but I shall next week. So far, the fit is great.
> 
> Guys if you want the cap, just order directly from the makers  SWIMMA


Are you still using this cap?


----------



## Kanky

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> Bumping this thread.
> 
> A 21 year old AA man drowned in my area recently.
> 
> Interesting PDF about disparities in drowning related deaths.
> 
> https://www.lib.washington.edu/commons/events/scholarsstudio/past/water/cook-slides
> 
> Ages 5-14: 3 times more African Americans drown than do whites
> • Ages 11-12: 10 times more African Americans drown in swimming pools than do whites
> • Fewer minorities learn to swim compared to whites
> • Twice as many AAs report being unable to swim compared to whites
> AA adolescent girls report higher fear of swimming than any other racial group
> • AA parents more fearful of their children drowning compared to white parents
> • Swimming has become an activity of privilege
> • Perceived to be a “white activity”



This reminds me of the thread where a black mom styled her daughters hair with braid extensions to make it easier for her to use the pool daily. The school suspended her over the hairstyle.


----------



## cocosweet

Kanky said:


> This reminds me of the thread where a black mom styled her daughters hair with braid extensions to make it easier for her to use the pool daily. The school suspended her over the hairstyle.


I hope mom sued. This is ridiculous.


----------



## aribell

[deleted]

Didn't realize it was such an old thread.  But pretty much all the black kids I knew growing up swam.  If anyone in my extended family doesn't, they haven't mentioned it.


----------



## Iwanthealthyhair67

I'm embarrassed to say that I do not know how to swim, I grew up and live on an island and pass the beach twice a day. 

I haven't been in the sea or a pool for years  but plan to this summer I should take some classes before my holiday.


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

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.


----------



## Kanky

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> 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.


This is ridiculously negligent. Where were the adults while she was struggling in the water? If water that she jumped in had been deeper then the 10 year old could’ve drowned trying to save her. Who does this?


----------



## cocosweet

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> 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.  
So whoever said there needs to be a designated child watcher was on target.

Boychild started his swim lessons this week.


----------



## Chromia

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).


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

Chromia said:


> 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).


This is crazy...I will say that black folks tend to not play around as much with the ocean


----------



## Kanky

Chromia said:


> 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.


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

Kanky said:


> 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.


And the rescue guy said it happens a few times a year.


----------



## Ms. Tarabotti

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.


----------



## Enyo

Tourist who die in Hawaii generally do so in the water. Folks have no idea how powerful the ocean is. Coupled that with the delusion that Hawaii is a paradise where nothing goes wrong meant 1 death per week for a year a few years ago.


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

*
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

*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

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.”


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

Never mind...


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

We had a young man drown here in a pond near some apartments. The video is circulating on Facebook of his friends daring him to get in the water.

it’s very sad and avoidable!


----------



## Leeda.the.Paladin

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/


----------



## dancinstallion

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> 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

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

*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.


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## meka72

All these stories are heartbreaking


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## Shimmie

Kanky said:


> 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.


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    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.


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## Shimmie

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> 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


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

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.”


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## MizzBFly

I have my 9 & 10 yr old in swim classes. I refuse for them to be at risk senselessly!


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

Bumping this since swim season is upon us. I'm already seeing young black folks drowning in the news.


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## larry3344

Are swimming lessons expensive, I am not understanding why such a disparity exist?


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## Evolving78

larry3344 said:


> Are swimming lessons expensive, I am not understanding why such a disparity exist?


Not a lot of community pools are around like they used to be, and swimming lessons are expensive. I know I paid close to $400 for my children. Also, you have to pay membership fees as well.


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## kcbelle925

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.


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## Sosoothing

larry3344 said:


> 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.








						Tankproof
					

Non-profit organization providing free swimming lessons and food to kids in need in Austin, Dallas, Gonzales, Nashville, New York City, Brooklyn, and San Francisco.




					www.tankproof.org


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

larry3344 said:


> 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.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

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.


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## MamaBear2012

larry3344 said:


> 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.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin

MamaBear2012 said:


> 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.


If you don’t get in some lessons!


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## MamaBear2012

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> If you don’t get in some lessons!


I know. We just came back from vacation and my kids were like, "We'll teach you." It's a shame.


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## CarefreeinChicago

I didn’t learn to swim until I moved to Dallas way back in the day . I remember as a kid my mom paid for lessons at Chicago State but I was busy trying to look cute and didn’t learn. And in high school I transferred school and told each one I had it at the other school.


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