With the recent deaths of 6 African Americans from drowing in LA due to flooding, I believe this is something that should be addressed, not just because I am African American, but as a Marine Corps officer it is a requirement of Marines that we be proficient in swimming and usually minorities tend to have the most problems from officer to senior enlisted with swimming.
A combination of factors - including parents who can't swim, limited access to pools and even a lower socioeconomic level - are largely influencing a minority swimming gap, according to a new survey.
Almost 60% of African-American children living in metropolitan areas can't swim, nearly twice the rate of white non-swimmers, the survey says.
John Cruzat, national diversity specialist for USA Swimming, the governing body of competitive swimming in the U.S., which commissioned the survey, said when the agency looked at the field of competitive swimmers, it lacked diversity.
"Communities of color typically didn't gravitate to the sport," Cruzat said. http://www.jsonline.com/...
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