Before You Say Black People Can't or Don't Swim...

Image courtesy of franky242

Black people can't swim is one of the many racial stereotypes associated with Black people— possibly due to the lack of brown faces seen taking part in major swimming activities. But as the saying goes, stereotypes are true to an extent. I personally don't believe in this especially considering how and why they are formed, but that is a topic by itself. In this particular case, this is not always in control of the stereotyped group. But again I'd say majority of the stereotypes about Blacks were almost never in their control.

It was not long ago in America that legal laws were created to not just segregate whites from non-whites, but to actively bar and prohibit certain groups of people from enjoying even the most basic of fun-filled hobbies. Segregation in the the U.S. was the norm post Civil War, particularly the South. Many establishments were not open to non-White Anglo's (ex: Irish and Italians). Everything from bars, theaters, restaurants, department stores, clubs, and yes, swimming pools and beaches, were not open to Blacks or non-Anglos alike. What was available in many cases, were destitute places deemed unsuitable for Whites. That in turn caused Blacks to create their own settings, but due to lack of economic power, many Black establishments lacked—but they continued to strive due to the demand. Black people just wanted to have fun and enjoy recreation but the segregation of pools and beaches would prove to have some obvious lasting effects.

The few beaches Blacks were legally allowed, were routinely called Ink Well, based off a racist implication that if Black people swum, the water would turn dark like ink because of their skin color. Apparently, Black people contaminated these waters, but that was just one of the endless dehumanizing terms describing all things Black. When the push for desegregation became more and more political, opposition came from everywhere. Segregationists did not agree or like the idea of integration. It threatened their privilege and the power they held on to. Blacks who dared to want entry to White's Only establishments were met with violence. This included being attacked by angry mobs, having dogs sicked on them, having authorities remove and arrest them, or even worse—death. When there were opportunities for integration, segregationists would find ways to prevent them. Post-integration, White's Only establishments became private ones.

In this most horrifying photo below, a man is seen throwing bleach into a pool of Black youth swimming.

One can assume from this photo, how traumatic that experience could have been for these kids, and what fear came afterwards.

Fear of swimming and lack of experience are highly possible reasons as to why Black people, or people in general can't swim. But back to the actual stereotype. It may seem like harmless joke at first, but when Black people are drowning at higher rates than other races, it becomes a serious matter. There have been tragic incidents in the last few years of black teens drowning in water. 

In 2010, six Louisiana teens—six—drowned trying to save a friend who was also drowning. It was revealed that none of the teens knew how to swim. Six young bodies were pulled from the water and none lived. It was the most horrific tragedy, meanwhile statistics show that an estimated 70 percent of Black children can't swim, or have limited swimming ability (self-taught swimmers). Most recently, a New York teen drowned while on a field trip. 

Culture is created based on what those before left behind and how it continued or evolved. Swimming wasn't a go-to activity for many Blacks, not because they were scared of actual water, or even sillier, can't get their hair wet. Many Black families eventually avoided going or trying to gain access to beaches or pools due to prohibition. So how else were their children supposed to learn and experience swimming? Research even showed that if a parent doesn't know how to swim, the likelihood their child would know is at 13 percent. That number is extremely low but makes sense in terms of why Blacks drown at higher rates than Whites, especially given the history of access to water-leisure—it's generational. These children grew up, and while things changed, they didn't form the ambition to go swimming, and neither did their children, and their children.

Do you see where I'm going? Generations passed without swimming being a thing lots of Black people did, leading to not enough awareness or importance being placed on the need to swim. But although that is changing, and there have always been Black people that could swim (hello Caribbean/Sub-Saharan Africa), it has never been about race but accessibility and economics, and how the lack of it can affect cultural trends. Because drowning transcends race. Many Americans admit to not knowing how to swim. It doesn't erase the racial disparity, but it brings light to swimming being something many people may not see as a necessity, while it is. It's a skill everyone should have. And though segregated pools are over, what is the excuse today? It may still be fear, as well as generational transfer.

Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones has talked and campaigned about getting more Black children to learn how to swim. The Make a Splash initiative works to end disparity and drowning in children overall.

Protestors being fire-hosed in iconic Charles Moore photo

So before you say Black people can't or don't swim, first understand how it was ridiculously difficult for them to enjoy water leisure activities due to segregation. Understand how that affected the reason swimming may have never became an activity they participated in. Also consider how it affected cultural trends, and think where the fear of swimming would come from? Also remember that water (fire hoses) were used to attack Black people, which included young children.

To just assume Black people don't swim without consideration of their history, you are engaging in a racial stereotype which formed from disenfranchisement, and you're also dismissing that an estimated 36% of Americans can't swim.