Unless you ever get in the water... As somebody that spends a lot of time in the water, I can't imagine not being able to swim.
The answer to the OPs question is as follows: Clearly, blacks are physically capable of swimming, like anyone else. Given this, the problem is a cultural issue. We and our parents have to choose how we spend our time. Of course, where we live and what resources we have access to can influence this. Swimming, however is accessible by all socioeconomic classes - it's not like golf or skiing (two of my favorite pursuits, right up there with polo and dressage). Beaches, YMCAs, 24-hour fitness, apartment complexes, people's houses - plenty of places to swim. Most blacks simply choose to prioritize other non-swimming activities with their time. Additionally, the psychosocial aspect must be discussed as well. Once you reach a certain age, it's socially awkward to take swimming lessons. Think Cosmo Kramer in the dojo learning karate with the kids. Additionally, there is a negative feedback loop among blacks regarding swimming (they know they are not good at it, they don't expect to be good at it, they eventually fear it)... which further reduces the number of blacks who desire to swim. My biggest beef is not their ability to swim, but rather their inability to put on appropriate attire for the beach/pool. Basketball shorts are really inappropriate for the beach. Do us all a favor and hit up Vineyard Vines or Southern Tide ahead of time! Always speak with your clothier before going to the beach.
Apartments are closing swimming pools due to liability. I think 2 different complexes I've lived in filled in their pools which both were 10 feet deep. Each complex had 2 pools
when i took my kids to swimming lessons i didnt noticed too many black kids there. Not sure if that's common or just at that particular location. I'm guessing they rather put their kids into sports than waste money on boring swimming lessons?
When I was a kid Texas Southern hosted a camp for inner city kids. It was part of a national program. My dad lied on the application so he didn't have to pay. It was federally funded I guess I wish I remembered the name of it. I went about 3 summers Anyway it seemed all third ward kids age 10 to 14 were in it and they could all swim
Translation: This thread is about black people and I hired a black man to do work for me and he was okay because he thinks COVID isn’t real either.... blah blah yeah blacks can’t swim haha
I haven’t had the chance to watch the video but had heard this is an issue. I remember Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer Cullen Jones who is black, talking about this issue and pushing for more African Americans to learn to swim. Also legendary Navy rescue diver Carl Brashear, the movie Men of Honor was made about him, was concerned that few African Americans could swim.
Repped for finding a way to include dressage. Also basketball shorts are fine for the beach in the USA.
...I remember I couldn't keep my son out of the water when he was little. ...we lived at an apartment complex when he was grade-school aged. The place had a nice pool, but was generally left unsupervised. My boy became something of a regular in that pool. He'd be there almost the entire day, sometimes, during the summer. He loved swimming. Once in a while, I'd swim with him. Just in case it wasn't supposed to be a thing. I remember my wife worrying that she thought he was spending too much time in the pool. Lazy, good-for-nothing, deadbeat Negro parent I was, I of course told her to leave the boy be. Alot worse things he could be out doing than frolicking in a swimming pool all day long, I said. Like maybe jacking up all those Negro crime stats way past tolerance. I actually began to wonder if the boy had gills. I waited till his friends would come around sometimes before I called him "Aqualad". Just an anecdote, mine. Go with your gut on this one. If it's something wrong, statistics probably show a bunch of Negroes who are responsible for it...
color of skin and racism aside, does ability, knowledge, capacity, instinct to swim/float hereditary?
That was a very powerful video, and my heart aches for Jennifer Holmes, the mother featured in it who lost her 13-year-old son to a drowning accident. Kudos to her for starting a program with the goal of teaching as many kids as possible to swim so parents don’t have to experience the pain and agony she did. This story also hits close to home, as one of my black friends and his wife lost their two-year-old daughter to a drowning accident last May.
