Swimming while black: the legacy of segregated public pools lives on

[KamaAina]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/04/black-children-swimming-drownings-segregation

Goodson, who’s 37 and works in the restaurant industry, says he would do anything for his daughter. But growing up in Alabama, he was just simply never taught to swim. His story is part of a common narrative, not a singular occurrence.

In the US, swimming ability is starkly divided along racial lines. White Americans are twice as likely to know how to swim as black Americans....

Understanding why the disparity exists offers a unique look into US segregation history, and the ways in which white citizens and public officials reacted to the integration of public pools and public spaces more generally. ...

During that time, Wiltse says, thousands of public pools were opened across the country, creating a culture of swimming for millions of Americans. But the pools were segregated, and only a fraction of them were destined for black Americans.

So that's why "black people can't swim"!

[alphafemale]

1. The movie "Crazy in Alabama" has a pivotal scene involving a pool off limits to non-whites.

Lucas Black was a child and a lead actor in that film.

Many municipal pools were filled in and paved over rather than let children swim together.

Many pools available went to a membership basis, the fee of which was going to be higher for "some." You know it.

And even families that did make to membership would have rules arbitrarily enforced against their kids.
Running/Horseplay being an automatic kick-out and black-mark to revocation of membership that the white kids would get a mere lifeguard whistle for.

[csziggy]

2. Not just the community pools but even the tourist destinations

Were segregated.

Back when Silver Springs was one of the big Florida attractions, blacks were not allowed at the park. Instead there was another site that was opened as Paradise Park just to let blacks have a vacation spot.

Recently the Florida Memory site posted the only known movie of Paradise Park:

The full length video is at: https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/273952

They also have an original brochure: https://www.floridamemory.com/exhibits/floridahighlights/paradise_park/

[Juicy_Bellows]

3. Really interesting, thanks for posting it.

Old Cootchie the alligator - so bizarre - and that guy about 40 seconds in is insane - he has no fear.

[d_r]

4. In Montgomery Alabama

they closed all the public parks and filled in all the pools rather than integrate the parks and pools. They sold the zoo animals, and sold park land.

This is one of the reasons that YMCA pools are found throughout the south.

[FLPanhandle]

5. Down south, who swims in pools?

We always swam in bayous, rivers, the Gulf of Mexico.

No one but tourists swam in swimming pools.