courtesy of Nike Swim
Nike Swim believes swimming is for everyone and that the swimming world would benefit from more diversity. This month, we have invited black swimmers from around the country to share their stories and experience of swimming black. We want to shine a light on the the issues black swimmers still face in the sport, celebrate accomplishments and our shared love of the sport.
COACH TAJ OMARI IS THE FOUNDER OF EMPOWERED SWIMMING
We are swimmers, so let’s dive right in.
Black people can’t swim….
Was anyone surprised by that comment?
I would wager that no one was startled because that narrative has been perpetuated and accepted as fact by many people… including Black People.
Swim culture is notorious for ignoring Black people and Black people have consciously ignored swim culture.
But I come before you, illustrious Swim Swam readers to say, this is NOT true.
I am a Black Swimmer.
My very existence defies this stereotype and yet as a 13 year and heavily certified swim coach, my credentials are still questioned simply because I am a Black Woman teaching swim.
We all, no matter what demographic we represent, know what it feels like to be excluded from something. To be rejected from learning or being a part of something simply because of who we are.
I understand that everything is not for everybody… but we all deserve a chance at life.
According to the CDC, drowning is #1 leading cause of unintentional deaths between ages 1-4.
Black children are 5x more likely to drown than White children.
But why?
Why is the narrative “Black People Can’t Swim” so widely accepted when Black people drown at a much higher rate than other demographics?
After extensive research on the matter, interviewing swim clients and parents, and surveying the community, I have identified 4 reasons why this debilitating narrative still exists.
- Fear. The most common reason someone within a marginalized community has not learned how to swim is because they are afraid. Afraid of drowning… afraid of feeling out of control… afraid of failing. I often tell my clients that water responds to your emotions… if you are tense, afraid and anxious…the water will feel that energy and pull you down. But if you are calm, relaxed and confident….you will float on top of the water with ease. As a swim coach, I find myself hosting therapy sessions in the pool more often than not.
- Cost of Swim Lessons. Participation in ANY sports club is expensive for those who are not affluent. Parents of school aged children must decide between spending $75 on school supplies or $75 on a swimsuit. Historically, Black people were priced out of swim lessons during the “White Flight” to country clubs and membership only swim programs during the 1960’s and marginalized communities are still being priced out in 2021.
- Representation within swim culture. Swimming is widely considered an elitist sport represented by White chiseled bodies. This is because that is all we see advertised in mass media and in aquatic product branding. Psychologists have proven that a minimal or a lack of representation within a field suggests exclusion and directly correlates with low self-esteem and decreased confidence within the neglected demographic. One could argue that we have role models like Cullen Jones and Simone Manuel…but when a mother of 3, who does not know how to swim herself and the only swimmer’s name she knows is Michael Phelps, goes into Walmart to buy her kids a swimsuit and all they will see are White children advertised…who can her children look up to? (That Mother of three was my mom and so many other mothers I know.)
- Access to products that work for melanated skin and thick curly hair. The second most common response I receive when asking Black women why they never learned how to swim was “because I don’t want to get my hair wet”. As a Black woman and a swimmer, I must consider my hair every time I enter the pool. How am I going to style my hair after my swim? How can I keep my hair from drying out or being damaged by the chlorine? How can I swim and keep my hair as dry as possible? For those who do not know, Black people cannot wash their hair every day or even once a week because Black hair is slow to reproduce oil. Shampoo reduces hair oil and chlorine dries hair out. We simply cannot afford to get our hair wet every day because our hair will literally fall out if we did. And good luck trying to fit thick and curly natural Black hair underneath a traditional swim cap.
Although, the aforementioned reasons a Black person has not yet learned how to swim are all valid…I personally could not accept that. I have the privilege of knowing the benefits of swimming greatly outweigh the drawbacks. I know how swimming can improve one’s life on a physical, mental, and even spiritual level. I know how a lifeguard certification can turn a troubled teenager’s life around or how swimming can be considered therapy for ADHD. I have seen babies less than 1 years old jump into a pool without fear and swimmers who are 90+ years old feel born again after swimming a few laps. I have witnessed a very anxious and resistant swimmer go from avoiding natatoriums completely to participating in triathlons after taking the leap to learn how to swim.
Anything is possible with swimming!
Anyone of any age, ability, and demographic can swim. It is in our DNA as human beings.
We just need access.
In 2018, myself and 3 other Black female swim instructors decided to take action and work to combat the narrative “Black People Can’t Swim” head on.
We founded Empowered Swimming Incorporated, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing marginalized communities with access to professional aquatic products and services. Through our Empowered Scholarship program, we are able to provide swim lesson tuition assistance and aquatic product donations to our recipients. Our mission is to eliminate EVERY reason why someone…anyone would not be able to learn how to swim.
2020 was a tough year for EVERYONE and we are no exception. But one gift 2020 granted us was a change in perspective. We learned just how valuable our time is. We learned how important prioritizing our funds are. And we learned how systemic racism and microaggressions constantly work against minority groups to this day. But it’s 2021 now. It is time to take this new information…these new perspectives. And ACT!
As a nonprofit we need the support of our community members and beyond to actively reduce the drowning rate in marginalized communities. We are currently hosting a virtual fundraiser, The Empowered Swimathon, where participants record themselves swimming laps and we connect the swimmer with a sponsor willing to turn those laps into cash. We aim to raise $10,000 and grant more scholarships than we have ever been able to award in 2021.
BLACK PEOPLE CAN SWIM!
We just need the opportunity to prove it.
Help us actively reduce the drowning rate in marginalized communities by donating to our scholarship fund.
Your donation will quite literally save lives.
SUPPORT HERE:
Website: www.empoweredswimminginc.com
Donation: paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/3933693
Courtesy of Nike Swim, a SwimSwam partner.
