Can you swim?

[LoneSage]

Yeah wataru is misunderstanding me here. Of course there are black people who can swim, to say otherwise would be preposterous.

I am saying, in general, IN GENERAL, that a significant proportion of black people don't like to or can't swim. The biggest reason I heard personally is it messes with their hair.

The link I posted is succint but gives out enough information. It's a cultural thing, there's nothing racist about it and this issue is actually quite close to me. I realize the privilege I had growing up with YMCA, swimming lessons, and a private club summer swimming pool was not something everyone had access to. And as posted by Stefan, restricting black people access to swimming pools decades ago has had effects that are still felt today.

I'm offended that I'm called ignorant about this. There are many articles about this online. Educate yourself.

 

[NeoSneth]

Learned to swim as part of mandatory classes in elementary school. This is while we lived in UK.
I was a lifeguard for a few years in highschool/college. It was glorified babysitting at the city pools. Parents would drop their kids off and leave for the day.

 

[Hippo]

Lmao@messes with their hair

 

[Syn]

Where you live makes a difference too. Michigan is known for it's water activities so all people want in on the fun. Waterskiing, Ski doos, boating, etc.

This isn't a shady article, this is real life and not race exclusive.

I'm not saying you guys are racist, sheltered definitely.

 

[LoneSage]

Lmao@messes with their hair

Yes. It is an issue especially for black women.

Here's another "shady" article that goes into it: https://www.wnyc.org/story/88501-chlorine-and-curls-why-many-black-women-wont-go-swimming/

Post-Swimming Hair Care

Hair maintenance for women of color isn’t the easiest task and can be time-consuming, especially if you’re natural since the process can take a tad bit longer than for someone whose hair is relaxed. For most Black women attending a function, getting in the pool typically depends on what stage their hair is in. If it’s freshly done, she’ll just be eye candy and engage with other guests compared to someone whose hairstyle is at the end of its ropes. The latter woman has nothing to lose, so getting it wet doesn’t matter since they likely have plans to do it or a hair appointment within the next couple of days. But at a minimum, Black women will put their feet in the pool.

“Who wants to go through the process of handling hair after being in the water/pool. It’s not a functional activity unless we plan for it. Hence us having protective styles when we go to beach vacations,” said Chelsea Hill, a Project manager from Houston, Texas.

“Black women for sure, we don’t swim at functions, because of our hair. Getting [hair] messed up means there’s an entire process that follows, often a costly and time possessing one,” Kendrea Rubin, a talent & leadership development specialist, agreed.

I'll concede that wherever Syn and wataru live that there are equal amounts of white and black people at pools and leave it at that. But in Virginia this is not the case, for reasons that are historical (segregation and having generations unable to swim) and cultural.

 

[Hippo]

Hey lonsage!!!!

 

[Hippo]

Peek a boo I think I might know more about “their hair” but please enjoy the articles etc..

 

[LoneSage]

I wasn't ready for that

 

[Syn]

A video that supports both sides since it looks like he's the only child that is.

Funny video at least.

 

[skate323k137]

Where you live makes a difference too. Michigan is known for it's water activities so all people want in on the fun. Waterskiing, Ski doos, boating, etc.

Parking at a beach in Grand Haven, MI (any park in that county) is like $8/day. Muskegon county isn't as bad. Growing up in lansing though, "Lake" Lansing was a 4 foot deep sludge marsh and it was still on the rich side of town lol.

River trips like tubing and canoeing and stuff are cool, but not really 'swimming' (unless you end up having to, anyway).

 

[supergoose]

Is swimming not a part of the education system in america? You're not supposed to leave school without being able to swim here.

In East Germany we had to take swimming lessons in grade 3. During one of those lessons our teacher dropped a hockey puck into the 6’ deep pool and told us to dive in order to get it back up. To me that was the most fun phys ed lesson ever. (Most of us already knew how to swim at that point.)

I've been thinking about getting back into swimming, actually. That might be more enjoyable than going to a gym.

 

[wyo]

I swim a couple times a week for exercise. Usually do 1000m but I did 2500m a few weeks ago.

My mother in law can't swim and she is a whitey.

 

[Hattori Hanzo]

In East Germany we had to take swimming lessons in grade 3. During one of those lessons our teacher dropped a hockey puck into the 6’ deep pool and told us to dive in order to get it back up. To me that was the most fun phys ed lesson ever. (Most of us already knew how to swim at that point.)

I've been thinking about getting back into swimming, actually. That might be more enjoyable than going to a gym.

Only 2 peeps had to learn it in the 3rd grade. Already had "Stufe 3" but still had to do the "Grundstufe" again. We were naked during those lessons.

 

[jro]

FUCK ME you cannot quote enough posts at a time anymore.

Anyway - : - :

I read Shad Gaspard's book a while back, dude died saving his son from a rip current. Big strong guy, didn't matter.

@LoneSage @StevenK @Syn et al : Yes there's definitely an access/requirement thing. I grew up in 99% white towns, zero requirement to learn swimming in school but it was cheap as shit to take lessons since everybody did. Maybe also not so well-emphasized in not coast states, dunno.

Before-school lessons are so dumb. I did pitcher/catcher before school in high school for a few years than said fuck that and got paid to coach 11 year-olds instead. Like, honestly, nowadays there's at least data that suggests making 17-year-olds get up at 5 and then do homework until 8 is not helpful.

@supergoose Holy shit with that hockey puck thing she just wanted to cull the weak.

@Hattori Hanzo - wait, like in the original 200 BC Olympics? Was there a wrestling match immediately following?

 

[jro]

FUCK ME you cannot quote enough posts at a time anymore.

Anyway - : - :

I read Shad Gaspard's book a while back, dude died saving his son from a rip current. Big strong guy, didn't matter.

@LoneSage @StevenK et al : Yes there's definitely an access/requirement thing. I grew up in 99% white towns, zero requirement to learn swimming in school but it was cheap as shit to take lessons since everybody did.

Before-school lessons is so dumb. I did pitcher/catcher before school in high school for a few years than said fuck that and got paid to coach 11 year-olds instead. Like, honestly, nowadays there's at least data that suggests making 17-year-olds get up at 5 and then do homework until 8 is not helpful.

@supergoose Holy shit with that hockey puck thing that bitch just wanted to cull the weak. I could see that with, I dunno, Michael Phelps' gang but the average

edit:

 

[100proof]

I grew up on Naval and Coast Guard bases so swimming was a regular activity whether you liked it or not (wasn't much else to do).

 

[supergoose]

We were naked during those lessons.

Being naked > being forced to wear one of those old fashioned rubber swim caps.
My parents used to take me to the nudist beach every summer. Oddly enough, I never really enjoyed swimming in the baltic sea all that much. Thalassophobie, I guess.

Holy shit with that hockey puck thing that bitch just wanted to cull the weak. I could see that with, I dunno, Michael Phelps' gang but the average

Out of the ~15 kids in my group there was only one girl who didn't manage to bring the puck back up. For the rest of us it was fun and we wanted to do it over and over again.
At that age I used to be able to jump in and dive the entire length of the 25 m (~82’) pool. I usually went so deep that my chest touched the tiles on the floor.
I wasn't even the best swimmer in my group. There was a girl who swam faster than me.

My mother in law can't swim and she is a whitey.

My grandma was a "whitey", too. She could neither swim nor ride a bicycle because her mother was too protective and didn't want anything bad happen to her.

 

[skate323k137]

Out of the ~15 kids in my group there was only one girl who didn't manage to bring the puck back up. For the rest of us it was fun and we wanted to do it over and over again.

Our public school swim class did the same, object on the bottom of the deep end, had to swim down for it. We all had a blast.

 

[Hattori Hanzo]

@Hattori Hanzo - wait, like in the original 200 BC Olympics? Was there a wrestling match immediately following?

Naked 3rd graders shouldn't be part of this gay fantasy.

 

[NeoSneth]

We didn't have the puck. The big test for us was to get out of button down pajamas under the water. I remember all the kids being very intimidated by this test. You were constantly guessing which day was going to be the test.

a bit of a tangent, I'm still amazed when I see babies swimming. Those things can't even hold their heads upright, but they can flip over and paddle their asses all over a pool.

 

[lithy]

We would try the 'item in the deep end' thing with life preservers on.

One is relatively easy for a strong swimmer, two is possible, and I saw one guy with three life preservers on manage to barely get his feet below the water level but couldn't get much deeper than that to start kicking down.

 

[StevenK]

We would try the 'item in the deep end' thing with life preservers on.

One is relatively easy for a strong swimmer, two is possible, and I saw one guy with three life preservers on manage to barely get his feet below the water level but couldn't get much deeper than that to start kicking down.

He can't stay down with three barrels on him. Not with three barrels, he can't.

 

[Syn]

Not a puck but they used fake clam shells with colored marbles where everyone tried to find the pearl, white marble. They'd throw them in and 5 or 6 would go after them.

 

[terry.330]

We had weighted rings with numbers on them and you had to pick them up in numerical order.

 

[jro]

Naked 3rd graders shouldn't be part of this gay fantasy.

View attachment 69118

hdr bait there, I like it!

My original post point still stands before I broke it with my picture of Miss Strieble with a reindeer, is that pre-teens should only be forced to swim nude if they're also about to participate in a greco-roman wrestling match.