Unbelievable. Discrimination is wrong no matter who is the perpetrator. Imagine how you would feel if you were singled out because of race. More below the fold.
In a case, that is not getting any media scrutiny at all, a string of emails have emerged. A group of white campers contracted with an all black swim club and after one visit the contract was cancelled. Below are samples of the emails sent among members of a historically black swimming pool in the Northeast. The swim club was started to combat segregation in the sixties and currently the membership is all black, but hmm...
I am very upset about these campers. While this is a community pool, this is not a community where the campers live. Since I personally know some of these kids as I teach at their school, I know what they are capable of. I don't even feel comfortable sending my kids to the bathroom with them here. This is not about the kids being white. That can not be further than the truth
I am upset about the bussing of the kids to the camp on Mondays. When we joined, we assumed this was a private club, not a club for hire or some type of social program. We like the club, but I am looking to go somewhere else next year.
After talking to teachers that taught some of the children, many of them were removed from school due to stealing and severe behavioral problems. We were misled about the type of camp this is. It is a redneck camp and run with taxpayers money. This has nothing to do with the campers being white.
The director's response:
This is pitting members against member so therefore the white kids can't come to our facility.
So folks, is this racist or not? If white kids were denied at a black swimming pool - and they do exist- Google The Nile in Yeadon, PA, would there be any equivocation about calling it racism. Let's get real "To Kill a Mockingbird-ish" here. If a group of black separatists armed with guns were to show up at a presidential speech, would there be any doubt their messaging? Well maybe not because it isn't like this country has had a codified history of black folks killing white folks in organized mobs. Bad example.
The inspiration for this diary was the ruling by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission finding that there was probable cause that the Huntingdon Valley Swim Club discriminated against the Black and HISPANIC swimmers this summer when they barred them from attending their club after one incident-free (well except the racism exhibited by teachers - and you still wondering why their is an achievement gap between minorities and white students?)
Here is the full report.
I urge you to read the full 33-page report. It outlines all of the events in great detail. It also includes email messages that were sent between the board of the club and the members of the club. It makes a stronger case that racism was indeed at play. I know many did not need to see this report or the details to conclude the actions of the club were racist. So this diary is not for you. This diary is for those apologists who vehemently argued that race wasn't the issue and even if race was the issue, we shouldn't fight back or discuss it because it will make it worse, or it would make us racist.
Update - Note: The case above of the black club excluding whites is not getting media because it doesn't exist. It was attempt of having the apologists see the case from the flipside.