60 Percents of Black Kids Can’t Swim . . .
Posted on May 7, 2008 by thestateofblog
“Nearly 60 percent of African-American children cannot swim, almost twice the figure for white children, according to a first-of-its-kind survey which USA Swimming hopes will strengthen its efforts to lower minority drowning rates and draw more blacks into the sport.
TheStateOf . . . Blacks and Swimming. We talked about this issue about a year ago. Not teaching your kid how to swim is like not teaching your kid how to balance a checkbook. It’s negligent. I (J) still can’t believe so many brothers and sisters can’t swim and don’t care to learn. To me, it seems so limiting. You can’t go on boats or go near rivers, lakes, pools, etc.
I was talking to a friend a couple of days ago about how we neighborhood kids learned to swim. We used to go to the park in the summer and they had a fieldhouse with a pool that had open swim for a couple of hours every day. We just went there to horse around and escape the heat.
A young man noticed us coming in regularly and asked us as a group if we would be interested in really learning to swim. We said sure and he gave us permission slips to get signed by our parents. After that two or three times a week, he would give us swimming lessons. Then he formed a little water polo team with us and some other kids and we went around competing with other parks. I was never strong at water polo, but I can still swim pretty well some 25-odd years later.
DS…. you thank the guy as an adult?
This is another thing that can be somewhat attributed to the high rate of single parent households among Blacks. Kids are taught how to swim by their fathers or some generous neighborhood adult like in dragonslayer’s case. Or, they teach themselves.
To me, the numbers are right about in the same range, and tell the same story as all the other numbers in the black community.
I wanted to swim competitively in high school, but didn’t know how i would take care of my hair. I know that seems trivial, but it really was a concern.
I learned the hardway after garnering a few Fs after not being willing to suit up and swim, but I know a little how to although I haven’t been near a pool in years. I would like to start back however.
COOKIE.
Although I agree with you, gotta consider that a lot of cities have had their pools closed.
But you’re right as rain.
Cookie said:
“This is another thing that can be somewhat attributed to the high rate of single parent households among Blacks. Kids are taught how to swim by their fathers or some generous neighborhood adult like in dragonslayer’s case. Or, they teach themselves.”
That’s crap. I grew up in a 2 parent house with a father and sister who are great swimmers. My swimming is suspect. (I attribute this to the fact that my swimming instructor failed to catch me when I jumped in and I went to the bottom of the pool. Been terrified of water over my head ever since.) I am now a single parent and have already started looking into Mommy & Me swim classes for my son for this summer. It’s an issue of exposure.
I agree with the hair issue more than the single parent issue.
Sasha,
I think your experience is a little different than the average. I’m not saying Cookie’s reasoning is lock solid for everyone, but I think it contributes.
Ike’s learning to swim in a few weeks. Some dude guarantees your kid will swim in 5 days…
Sasha,
Is it crap, or do you disagree? There’s a difference. I understand your point but there is validity in what i’m saying.
“I’m not saying Cookie’s reasoning is lock solid for everyone, but I think it contributes.”
Exactly. I said it could be ’somewhat attributed’ to the single parent issue.
Be careful of those gurantees J. I, like Sasha, was pushed in a pool at this Asian swim school when I was about 7 or 8. Me being a little version of my current self…. got out of the pool, got my shit, grabbed by baby sitter’s hand, walked back to my house, and when my parents got home from work explained to them that I WOULD NO T be returning to Roy’s swim school. Aint had a swimming lesson since. I like to think of myself as more of a drink by the pool type of girl.
I agree with you, Cookie. I am not an apologist for bad behavior.
Let me give you an example. The wife and I are living in an apartment. Lady upstairs has 4 kids (1 boy, 3 girls, oldest 12) plus her mom in a two-bedroom. There was a divorce, etc.
Let alone what it sounds like living under them, but two weeks ago there was a fight. The oldest girl, influenced by her friends, thought she could call her mother a bitch. Mom said don’t do it. The girl did it. Mom punched her. They start rumbling. Girl cusses out her grandmother after she slaps her for calling her a bitch. Knocks granny down, breaking her wrist. Mom calls the police who refuse to 302 the girl.
Last night mom came down to apologize for the disturbance. I was quiet as a mouse and didn’t want to start any shyt. I’ll talk to her later alone. I gave her some behavioral support info as I work for a child advocacy agency.
I am not a parent but I have enough sense to know that four kids in a two bedroom on a Saturday is not a good idea. Not when you start blasting old Marvin Gaye at 9:00am, followed by the vacuum (with the oldies still on the radio).
Since they are like rats in a skinner box, the kids need to be out of the apartment on a Saturday morning early, not leaving the house at 2:30pm. And I’m no fcuking genius, but to me that is common sense. Or is it me?
And why would mom, in effect, goad her daughter into calling her a bitch. I just don’t get it. I am thoroughly disgusted. Fcuk her and her apology.
Any advice you can give me to say to mom would be much obliged.
Well, I’m one of these people who can swim, but not well enough to save my life. I taught myself how to swim when I was 10 — my dad had a pool put in our house in 1968. We were fairly popular in our Southeast S.D. neighborhood.
I swam fairly regularly until I got contacts and began to straighten my hair, which was around 1984. Now, I limit my water stuff to jacuzzis, but maybe I just need to not worry about the hair/eye issues.