Proficient swim skills can open doors to many opportunities. Seattle Parks and Recreation is looking for an Aquatics Manager who can recruit swimmers of color. The applicant must be a visionary leader who can develop relationships with staff, community agencies, and community leaders. A strong candidate for...
Parents on deck during a swim meet is normal, but parents in the pool is a rare occurrence. Marvin Thorpe, coach and owner of the 4MSC competitive swim team and learn-to-swim school, believes that parents should learn first hand how rewarding (and demanding) the sport can be. He...
The National Black Heritage Championship Swim Meet in North Carolina is the Black swim community's family reunion! The meet, founded and hosted by the North Carolina Aquablazers Swim Team, celebrates the success of African American swimmers and encourages the development of tomorrow's elite Black swimmers. The National...
The Red Cross teaches millions of Americans how to swim. Yet, today, 70 percent of African Americans lack basic swimming skills. Additionally, the Red Cross’s Centennial Campaign, charged with training 50,000 new swimmers in areas with some of the nation’s highest drowning rates, does not...
Black Media Network released a humorous video entitled “Black People Don’t Swim.” No, really, they did. It’s a part of their series @blackfolkdont that is currently in its third season. This is happening – in 2016. We won’t share the video here because the story shouldn’t...
Black Kids Swim remains committed to increasing the number of African Americans excelling in the sport of competitive swimming by supporting Black children and their families with resources, information, and access to opportunities. The images and videos produced and distributed by the Red Cross are...
Black Kids Swim objects to the message and implications in the Red Cross poster “Be Cool Follow the Rules” and any images that portray Black people in a negative light. Images of African Americans as a brutish, over-sexualized, criminal and helpless population are circulated freely...
The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced that for the first time, DPR will participate in SwimJitsu, an annual nationwide event presented by USA Swimming and the North American Sports Group. The District is one of 14 cities hosting this one-day, one of a...
Reece Whitley is 15 years old and 6 feet 8 inches tall. At the age of 14 he qualified to participate in the upcoming Olympic Trials. Not only does he stand out in a crowd, he is breaking records with his 100 and 200 meter...
Jarvis DeBerry of NOLA.com highlights historical events in Louisiana and Mississippi that contributed to African Americans having a fear of the water or simply not learning how to swim. In the 1930s and 1940s black swimmers were not allowed to swim in many public pools and...
Alia Atkinson,the first black woman to hold a swimming world title, holds the world record for women in the 100m breast stroke. In this article by Sports360 she discusses her family's move to the USA, advice from Usain Bolt, and the increased interest in swimming for...
Jamaican swimmer, Alia Atkinson, hopes to win the first medal in an Olympic swimming event for her country. She praises Usain Bolt as a mentor and leader in Jamaican sports. Full article by The New Paper here....
