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/...
NEW ORLEANS — Six teenagers drowned Monday evening in a river in northern Louisiana when they waded over a drop-off into much deeper water.
The teenagers, ages 13 to 18, belonged to two families that had come to a sandy bank along the Red River in Shreveport, said the city’s assistant fire chief, Fred Sanders. The victims were three siblings from the Warner family — Takeitha, 13, and her brothers JaMarcus, 14, and JaTavious, 17 — and three brothers from the Stewart family — Litrelle, 18, LaDairus, 17, and Latevin, 15.
Only the Warners’ cousin, D.J. Warner, 15, the first to scream for help, was rescued. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/us/04drowning.html?_r=1&src=sch&pagewanted=all
A recent study conducted by the USA Swimming and the University of Memphis, found that the drowning rate for african american kids are 3 times higher than their caucasian counterparts. This is not due in part because, of the myth of bad swimming black kids, but because of resources in urban areas for swimming is ridiculously limited. Funding to urban areas tends to focus, rightly on education, but there are dozens of other areas that can be devoted to improving the lives of urban youth. From eating habits, to swimming, green investments, child care and recreation centers.
ABC reported on this recently as well
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/drowing-rate-black-kids-times-whites/story?id=10965334
I believe it is a necessary step that congress can take. The Black Congressional Caucus, the Hispanic Caucus, conservatives and the entire congress to address this issue not as one about helping black kids but as providing a necessary asset and resource to ensure their safety and happiness.