Can’t or don’t? Swimming stereotype is unfortunate and can be fixed

“Black people can’t swim,” an African-American STEMCivics student claimed.

“People say that jokingly at our school but many people believe it’s the truth,” she said.

We do swim although a 2017 USA Swimming Foundation report alleged that 64 percent of African-American children have low or no swimming ability.

Plus, data showed black children and their parents are three times more fearful of drowning than white children and their parents.

And, black children are ten times more likely to drown than their white peers. All the statistics flooded my mind as a STEMCivics Charter School trip to the Santa Cruz community pool delivered a startling revelation — black people can’t swim.

Please excuse the hyperbole but only one of five AfricanAmerican teens ventured into the water while four confessed no swimming ability and offered myriad reasons.

Three Latinos, Melonie Chaves, Alexis Perez, and Julio Grullon spent much of the hourlong trip doing cannon balls, flips and, yep, just swimming.

The USA Swimming Foundation reports 45 percent of Hispanic children and 40 percent of Caucasian children have no/low swimming ability.

Should swimming serve as a city and county initiative?

Yes. Children should not die because they never learned to swim. Adults should be held accountable for such horrendous losses of lives.

As Trenton prepares to open a $155 million new school, complete with a pool, let’s commit to teaching all children how to swim.

If they receive an early-age introduction, few fears will exist and our children can enjoy all aspects of water activity.

L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist. Find him on Twitter @LAParker6 or email him at LAParker@Trentonian.com.