Who would of thought that swimming would be linked to slavery? I'm sure that we have all heard the racist jokes that talk about black people and their lack of the ability to swim. Today I was discussing the origin of some racist jokes and their significance in the real world. Needless to say, the joke about black people not being able to swim came up. Being black myself and having had an abundance of black friends who could swim, during this discussion I argued that there was no correlation between race and one’s ability to swim. To my surprise, after doing some research, these acquisitions were proven to not only be jokes but they were also shown to have statistical social truth.
Studies show that a far higher percentage of black, as opposed to white, children lack the ability to swim. After doing more research it was evident that this was not a biological problem like many of these jokes, and people, imply; rather it was due to institutionalized racism. Many blacks are currently still living in the ghettos that their slave ancestors fled to for a chance at freedom. The poverty of their ancestors from being a slave has been passed down for generations. Today, school systems in ghettos are not set up in a way that is geared towards getting blacks through high school, into college, and immersed into the workforce.
Many people in ghettos simply cannot afford to swim. While it is quite a pity to think about, most neighborhoods that have access to pools and beaches are affluent. Lessons cost money as well, and when one is trying to make ends meet its rather difficult to try and squeeze some swimming lessons into the budget.
The lack of the ability to swim is not biological, but it definitely correlates with socioeconomics. Just another way that racism has been institutionalized.
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/teens-drown-wading-louisianas-red-river/story?id=11312631
During my year in AmeriCorps, I was in Dallas for a while working with a group of disadvantaged youth. When we learned that the majority of them did not know how to swim, we took them to the YMCA and gave them amateur swimming lessons. Every single one of the kids, except one, was black, and the one white kid was the only one who knew how to swim. It's interesting that something that so many people take for granted - swimming - can show how underprivileged some groups are.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very interesting that a lower amount of African Americans can swim. I suspect that it has something to do with economic status and availability to resources. Wealthier people living in a community containing a pool are more likely to swim, regardless of race. However it is possible that not as many African Americans have been brought up in communities where those opportunities are available to them.
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