Posted on 04/07/2012 2:43:19 PM PDT by the scotsman
'A month ago, six African-American teenagers drowned in a single incident in Louisiana, prompting soul-searching about why so many young black Americans can't swim.
When 15-year-old DeKendrix Warner accidentally stepped into deeper water while wading in the Red River in Shreveport, he panicked.
JaTavious Warner, 17, Takeitha Warner, 13, JaMarcus Warner, 14, Litrelle Stewart, 18, Latevin Stewart, 15, and LaDarius Stewart, 17, rushed to help him and each other.
None of them could swim. All six drowned. DeKendrix was rescued by a passer-by.
Maude Warner, mother of three of the victims, and the other adults present also couldn't swim.
The US has almost 3,500 accidental drownings every year, almost 10 a day. But according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the fatal drowning rate of African-American children aged five-14 is three times that of white children.
A recent study sponsored by USA Swimming uncovered equally stark statistics. Just under 70% of African-American children surveyed said they had no or low ability to swim. Low ability merely meant they were able to splash around in the shallow end. A further 12% said they could swim but had "taught themselves".
The study found 58% of Hispanic children had no or low swimming ability. For white children, the figure was only 42%.
"It is an epidemic that is almost going unnoticed," says Sue Anderson, director of programmes and services at USA Swimming.
The swimming body would like all children to be taught to swim.
"We would like it to be like seatbelts and bicycle helmets," says Ms Anderson.
But the situation in the US can vary hugely even within a single state.'
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Correction: cat's don't like to swim. Except tigers. They'll leap into a river and swim to a boat to chow down on humans!
Here it is. You knew it was coming.
‘The major reason behind the problem could lie in the era of segregation says Prof Jeff Wiltse, author of Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America.
“The history of discrimination… has contributed to the drowning and swimming rates,” says Prof Wiltse.
In his work he identified two periods of a boom in swimming rates in the US - in the 1920s and 1930s when recreational swimming became popular and the 1950s and 1960s when the idea of swimming as a sport really took off.
There are historical reasons why black children do not learn to swim
The first boom was marked by the construction of about 2,000 new municipal pools across the nation.
“Black Americans were largely and systematically denied access to those pools,” he notes.
“Swimming never became a part of African- American recreational culture.”
In the northern US that segregation in pools ended in the 1940s and early 1950s, but many white swimmers responded by abandoning the municipal pools and heading off to private clubs in the suburbs where segregation continued to be enforced.
“Municipal pools became a low public priority,” he notes.
After the race riots of the 1960s, many cities did start building pools in predominantly black areas, says Prof Wiltse, but there was still a problem. Many of the new pools were small - often only 20 by 40ft (six by 12m) and 3.5ft (1m) deep.
Continue reading the main story
Theories for low black American swimming rates
Propagation of incorrect scientific theories such as black people being much less buoyant
Historic factors going as far back as slaves not being allowed to learn to swim
Denial of access to pools in 1920s and 30s causing ripple effect to present day
Lack of municipal pools in predominantly black neighbourhoods in 1960s onwards
Perception of swimming as elitist or white sport
“They didn’t really accommodate swimming. They attracted young kids who would stand in them and splash about. There really wasn’t an effort to teach African-American children to swim in these pools.”
Although there are many poor or working class white children who cannot swim for similar reasons, swimming has gained an image as a “white sport”.’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11172054
It be da white debil’s fault.
Yeah, the last parts of that class were hands and feet lightly bound, so you could get out if you were seriously in trouble. But then you had to re-take the test.
Blacks live primarily in nnner cities. They simply are not introduced to water in the city. Blacks in the South that live near lakes, river, streams, and oceans swim all thetime. I never knew a black kid not to swim. They swam just fine.
Its hard to hold a basketball under water.
You’ll Bob to the top.
It’s funny, we used to try to stay down with the ball.
Then I remember us making a diving helmet with an old pickle crock.
We cut a section out and inserted plexiglass, then we drilled a hole for the bicycle pump...
It didn’t work LoL the crock kept floating off!!
If you say so......Maybe in your URBAN area but not in URBAN DETROIT.........
It was a long time ago. I don’t recall all the details, but they did tie us.
I passed easily
That's how I learned to ride a bike. Top of the hill, get pushed downhill, go as far as you can and then crash.
I was 4% body fat at the time
“Sorry, but to me that smacks of the liberal attitude that blacks are incapable of taking care of themselves, making their own decisions, and so WE have to take them in hand and do something for them. “
Utter nonsense, read some responses. There is something either physiological or cultural going on. I am not pandering for heaven’s sake.
In Africa, I think if you go into the water, you don’t come out...crocs and such. Probably inhibits learning to swim somewhat.
Do it the old fashioned way: row out to the middle of the lake and toss them overboard - if they can get out of the gunny sack the swimming part will come naturally.
Disclaimer That was light-hearted sarcasm and in now way intended to be racist. Old fashioned applies to whites as well as other ethnicity. If you or your loved one's are offended seek professional help immediately, it could be symptoms associated with thin skin, a common condition associated with lose undergarments in a bunch. If humorless conditions persists it could signal the onslaught of seriousness. Seriousness is a serious condition with side effects of joylessness and constipation. See your doctor.
“Because the majority of blacks live in areas where swimming facilities are not available to them.....”
I must disagree, most live in the inner city do they not? All of our big cities have public pools.
As for the ski team, I’ll agree with you.
Yep. It does everything better except one: bone density. As a primary swimmer, I make sure I emphasize weight-bearing and hill walking when I don't swim. Swimming has my resting heart rate at 57, which is athlete class, and believe me ... I'm no athlete.
And while you cite the public pools being filled, those numbers of splashers are just a fraction of the population who don't even bother to use them.........
I wonder if the answer is this simple: It’s safe to swim in North American and European freshwater. Freshwater in most of Africa and Latin America isn’t very... well... fresh.
“It is time consuming but caring parents do it.”
==
I agree. I did it with my five. Outdoor city pool in the summer,YMCA indoor pool in the winter.
They are all excellent swimmers,as are my grandchildren.
Bull Shite! Shreveport and every other city has FREE swimming lessons at the public pools there’s probably Billion dollar grants for it. Another poster was exactly correct in noting that black parents (?) don’t give a damn enough to see that their kids learn ANYTHING much less swimming. Heck they can’t play basketball or sell crack while swimming, why bother to learn.
I was 5’5” and weighed about 90 lbs when I learned to swim. At the age of 15, I was 5’6” and weighed 100-105, and was practicing with the swim team.
Swimming is one sport that seems to be dominated by whitey Northern European types.
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