We've all heard the saying that Black people can't (or don't) swim. For some, the stereotype is used as the punchline of a joke or mentioned casually without much thought. But what happens when that negative stereotype solidifies into an accepted fact? Or worse, a barrier that...
We are just six days away from the 2016 Olympic swimming events! Over the past week Black Kids Swim has highlighted talented Black swimmers who may earn the chance to represent the United States on a future Olympic swim team. This year, there are three African...
[caption id="attachment_1573" align="alignleft" width="252"] Dr. Monica E. Randall[/caption] Do Well in School and Swim Fast in the Pool: Scholar Athletic Award Applications Are Now Available In a previous post, I mentioned the importance of excelling both in the classroom and in the pool. Yes, being 'fast in...
Meet the Ladies of the Theresa Banks Swim Club! The Theresa Banks Tiger Sharks Swim Club (TBSC) is a co-ed summer swim team located in Prince George’s County Maryland. ...
Reece Whitley is nothing short of amazing. At the age of 14 he qualified for the Olympic trials and proceeded to stun the world with amazing performances in the 100 and 200 breast. In 2015 Sports Illustrated named him Sports Kid of the Year. This...
Many of us are new to the sport of swimming. We don't know what a psyche sheet is or what it means to 'taper' before a big meet. We understand - we've been there! This series of articles will get you up to speed on...
It's that time of year again! School is wrapping up and parents are looking for fun (energy draining) activities that will help their kid make friends, stay in shape, and learn the value of hard work and dedication. Black Kids Swim highly suggests you put...
By Monica Randall PhD I encourage families with student athlete's searching for colleges, to keep an open mind and look beyond ratings and rankings to find a college that will be the right fit both academically and socially. Colleges that Change Lives (CTCL) supports this view. CTCL...
[caption id="attachment_1592" align="alignleft" width="300"] A young Giles Smith with his parents Harold and Marcia Smith[/caption] Harold and Marcia Smith knew Giles loved the water from the day they gave him his first bath. At the age of 3 they enrolled him in a summer swim program led...
By Monica E. Randall, PhD. What is the best part about being a swim mom? Watching our children excel in this sport! Whether I'm on deck or in the stands cheering, once parents find out that I am an educational consultant, I'm often asked for advice...
Malcolm Reeves is Executive Pastor of Woodstream Church in Prince George's County Maryland. He is a husband and father of 3. He is also the only one in his family (excluding his one-year-old son) who cannot swim. Malcolm opened up to Black Kids Swim about his...
[caption id="attachment_1449" align="alignleft" width="160"] Salome and Elijah at his high school graduation[/caption] Salome Wallace El taught her children how to swim at an early age. Although she did not swim competitively, she raised two successful swimmers - one of whom earned an athletic scholarship for diving...
