Posted on 04/07/2012 2:43:19 PM PDT by the scotsman
'A month ago, six African-American teenagers drowned in a single incident in Louisiana, prompting soul-searching about why so many young black Americans can't swim.
When 15-year-old DeKendrix Warner accidentally stepped into deeper water while wading in the Red River in Shreveport, he panicked.
JaTavious Warner, 17, Takeitha Warner, 13, JaMarcus Warner, 14, Litrelle Stewart, 18, Latevin Stewart, 15, and LaDarius Stewart, 17, rushed to help him and each other.
None of them could swim. All six drowned. DeKendrix was rescued by a passer-by.
Maude Warner, mother of three of the victims, and the other adults present also couldn't swim.
The US has almost 3,500 accidental drownings every year, almost 10 a day. But according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the fatal drowning rate of African-American children aged five-14 is three times that of white children.
A recent study sponsored by USA Swimming uncovered equally stark statistics. Just under 70% of African-American children surveyed said they had no or low ability to swim. Low ability merely meant they were able to splash around in the shallow end. A further 12% said they could swim but had "taught themselves".
The study found 58% of Hispanic children had no or low swimming ability. For white children, the figure was only 42%.
"It is an epidemic that is almost going unnoticed," says Sue Anderson, director of programmes and services at USA Swimming.
The swimming body would like all children to be taught to swim.
"We would like it to be like seatbelts and bicycle helmets," says Ms Anderson.
But the situation in the US can vary hugely even within a single state.'
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Once you are in agony what’s a little more.
Irish skin here too.
One of my kids(freckly redhead) married an Asian——the grandkids have wonderful skin.
;)... ...great minds...
My mom grew up in a community that banned blacks from the municipal swimming pool because people were afraid the black would wash off and dye their kids. They were serious — and stupid.
Because the Government-Education complex which raises most of them doesn't offer swimming in the curriculum.
I grew up in Detroit. I learned to swim in a pool at Patton Park. When I was a teenager, my posse and I rode the bus down to the municipal pools at Rouge Park. I remember there being plenty of black kids there but don’t remember if they swam or not.
My three kids are “sinkers.” They’re all adopted and all Asian. They also have no fat.
I never could teach any of them to float the way my mom taught me. We gave them swim lessons, but it was a struggle for the first two to learn the lessons in the order presented.
But they all swim now. My youngest somehow figured out how to swim underwater and that was the key for the older two learn. Maybe sinkers need to learn to swim underwater before they get up some enough speed to learn to swim on the surface.
They’re afraid of water and drowning. The fear is passed down in families.
There are plenty of free public (often inner city) programs that encourage kids to learn to swim, particularly in summertime.
You can lead a horse to water (heh) but you can’t make him drink.
IF you’re ever attacked by Holder’s people find the nearest body of water and start swimming. You’ll be safe there. Good to know.
There are lots of free swimming programs to take care of this.
Parental guidance has everything to do with it. Hanging out and splashing around in the pool is hit and miss -- some kids will learn, if they go enough, but many won't. Mom has to get them there for the lessons, preferably when they're still small. But if mom is letting them raise themselves, and dad is nowhere to be found, that doesn't happen.
My daughters and their friends all learned in the pool, and were mostly taught by parents. Endless hours, most weekends during the summer, but by the time they were six, they were swimming pretty well. Still kept an eagle eye on them, of course, but by the time they're eight or nine they're pool safe. Most ghetto moms don't do that. They drop their kids at the pool to get them out of the house, and nature takes it course.
My ethnic background is mostly Irish with some French. Back in ‘61, I was with a buddy at a flight outing at Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines. We walked for almost an hour under that fierce tropical sun. My buddy was a French kid from NH, with bright red hair and a body covered with freckles. I wore a t-shirt and the sun burned me right through the cotton. My buddy, who wore only swimming trunks, was burned to a crisp and was unable to work for about a week. He was authorized to wear shorts and shower clogs to work and for his trouble, he got an Article 15.
“Do Africans swim in Africa?”
As little as possible.
Question: Why?
Answer: Crocs, hippos, parasites and diseases beyond counting.
They can cost money, but here in Toronto the fees are either waived or drastically reduced for poor families. Also, many of the high schools here have pools and swimming sessions are part of the PE curriculum. Even in elementary school, a couple of times a year we were bused to pools for basic swimming lessons.
Liquid water IS polar...........
Me too. Not until I was in my mid 20s -- and it was growing wild all over the place, all during my lobster childhood!!!
That's how I learned to ski! LOL
Soul sister!!! {^)
I keep it in the house.
I love to cook but can’t do it without burning myself.
Lots of pinched leaves.
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