Swimming pools have opened, but several children in the metro-Detroit area don’t know how to swim and are at risk of drowning.
According to USA Swimming 70 percent of African American and 60 percent of hispanic children don’t know how to swim. Nearly ten people drown each day.
The Center for Disease Control says African American children 5 to 19 years old drown in swimming pools at rates five and a half times higher than those of white children.
Alexis Townsend is the Aquatic Director at the Royal Oak YMCA, she’s also African-American.
When she was a child she nearly drowned in a pool.
Now she teaches other children how to swim.
“Some say, oh you know how to swim? I say yes, because in society they tell us that we don’t know how to swim, but I’m an advocate for we swim too. African-Americans swim,” Townsend says.
According to the YMCA 7 out of 10 children in Detroit can’t swim.
That’s why they started Detroit Swims a program designed to break the barriers.
Julie Koroly with the YMCA says one reason children can’t swim is because of a generational gap.
“They can’t save themselves so they don’t want to expose their children to that access, transportation to get to the pool,” she says.
Over 6,000 children have gone through the program.
It’s not just children, adults are in the same boat.
Lifetime Fitness in Troy says their swim classes are packed with adults.
“A lot of individuals come in training for triathlons, some have had a lifetime fear and it’s on their bucket list of things to do to just overcome this fear of the water or they want to be safe with their kids” says Elite Lifetime Instructor Melissa Mayer.
#1: no gnu taxes To: All (#0)
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-06-02 11:04:41 Reply Private Reply
#2: Deckard To: no gnu taxes (#0)
I'm guessing that close to that number are black - for some physiological reason, blacks have a difficult time swimming. That isn't racism BTW.
Never seen any elite black Olympic swimmers or Triathletes.
EDIT:
Looks like there have been a couple - Simone Manuel Wins Olympic Gold
Cullen Jones
Deckard posted on 2018-06-02 11:08:16 Reply Private Reply
#3: Tooconservative To: no gnu taxes (#0)
They also don't go for tanning. The last thing they ever want is to be more black and they discriminate openly against blacks who have coal-black skin.
They also don't camp or hike or own RVs or water-ski or own horses or other livestock. Or farm. Or hunt.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-06-02 12:26:27 Reply Private Reply
#4: Fred Mertz To: no gnu taxes (#1)
Fred Mertz posted on 2018-06-02 12:32:42 Reply Private Reply
#5: Tooconservative To: Deckard (#2)
82.7% black, according to Wiki which get their numbers from the census.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-06-02 12:59:23 Reply Private Reply
#6: Hank Rearden To: no gnu taxes (#0)
Hank Rearden posted on 2018-06-02 13:45:32 Reply Private Reply
#7: no gnu taxes To: Hank Rearden (#6)
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-06-02 14:00:46 Reply Private Reply
#8: misterwhite To: Tooconservative (#3)
misterwhite posted on 2018-06-02 14:14:05 Reply Private Reply
#9: CZ82 To: no gnu taxes (#0)
Shouldn't that be can't read or maybe don't have both parents or maybe don't own a belt?
CZ82 posted on 2018-06-02 14:24:23 Reply Private Reply
#10: Tooconservative To: misterwhite (#8)
I seem to recall that at least one of them did learn to play golf pretty well.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-06-02 14:29:22 Reply Private Reply
#11: Justified To: no gnu taxes (#0)
Justified posted on 2018-06-02 14:35:31 Reply Private Reply
#12: no gnu taxes To: Tooconservative (#10)
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-06-02 16:17:27 Reply Private Reply
#13: Tooconservative To: no gnu taxes (#12)
Tooconservative posted on 2018-06-02 16:29:28 Reply Private Reply
#14: misterwhite To: Tooconservative (#10)
Hmmm. His father was of African-American, Chinese and Native American descent. His mother was of Thai, Chinese and Dutch descent.
Tiger called himself "Cablinasian" -- a composite of Caucasian, black, Indian and Asian. Meaning he's black, I guess. So I'll give you one. And he did play well … for a few years … some time ago.
misterwhite posted on 2018-06-02 16:31:35 Reply Private Reply
#15: sneakypete To: no gnu taxes (#0)
So what? NONE of them can fly,and probably 3 out of 10 can't read or add and subtract.
sneakypete posted on 2018-06-02 18:48:22 Reply Private Reply
#16: sneakypete To: Tooconservative (#3)
You really need to get out more. I personally know blacks that do all of the above.
And there are a few black Navy SEALS on the teams. Being able to swim is obviously a prime requirement to even be accepted for training.
Yeah,it IS true that in general blacks have more trouble swimming due to bone density,but that doesn't mean they CAN'T learn to swim.
sneakypete posted on 2018-06-02 18:51:51 Reply Private Reply
#17: Tooconservative To: sneakypete (#16)
Yeah, sure you do. I think you probably have some invisible friends.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-06-03 01:28:22 Reply Private Reply
#18: Dead Culture Watch To: Tooconservative (#17)
Says someone who’s here 24 hours a day for years on end...
Man, you just can’t make this shit up.
Dead Culture Watch posted on 2018-06-03 02:50:45 Reply Private Reply
#19: Tooconservative To: Dead Culture Watch (#18)
My goodness, what a nosy parker you are. Surely pete is a damsel in distress so you have to whiteknight your way to his defense.
I posted here rarely prior to 2015. I didn't pay much attention to LF as long as LP was still running. I've had absences of weeks or even months during that 3 years.
And looking at your posting history, you have a habit of showing up once every few months, wander into a thread, and try to pick a fight or horn in on others disagreeing so you can try to disparage people. Like when you celebrated the autumn holiday by suggesting to GI that he kill himself last Thanksgiving. Dropping in out of the blue to take cheap shots at people and suggest suicide on the holiday, that's a real class act, huh?
Indeed. You're a joke.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-06-03 04:03:05 Reply Private Reply
#20: no gnu taxes To: Fred Mertz (#4)
I would have to admit that he has that WC Fields look about him.
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-06-03 05:50:39 Reply Private Reply
#21: sneakypete To: Tooconservative (#17)
I have had black teammates in the army,and knew other blacks on other teams we worked with that I would and will defend to my dying breath.
I even had a black team sgt once,and this was long before all the AA BS. His name was Ben Thompson,and he was one of the finest men you could hope to meet. If I hadn't respected and liked him,there is no way in hell I would have followed him into the jungles of Cambodia and Laos in 1969.
I also have some friends in civilian life that just happen to be black. One just drove 50 miles to visit with me two days ago. We share a love of antique cars and trucks.
You assume too much.
sneakypete posted on 2018-06-03 13:40:33 Reply Private Reply
#22: no gnu taxes To: sneakypete (#21)
I hear they have a great antique and car show in Reno NV. I lived there for about a year and told my wife it's a great place to visit, or even live. I'm just sick of living in areas subject to hurricanes and tornadoes.
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-06-03 16:09:09 Reply Private Reply
#23: sneakypete To: no gnu taxes (#22)
Reno and Vegas are both supposed to have insanely high VD rates for teens,as well as pretty scary crime rates once you get away from the "strip".
I spent a couple of weeks with a friend living in Reno and teaching ROTC back in 1967,and there wasn't a damn thing for anyone under 21 to do but go to the local drive in. Kids were bored out of their minds,and we all know what happens when people with that much energy get bored. Young people have "on" and "off "switches,but no knobs with graduated numbers on them.
From what I have read,it has only gotten worse since due to the flood of refugees from the left coast look for more "free" money.
sneakypete posted on 2018-06-03 21:00:24 Reply Private Reply
#24: no gnu taxes To: sneakypete (#23)
I may visit there and see how my wife and daughter like it.
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-06-04 08:17:12 Reply Private Reply
#25: sneakypete To: no gnu taxes (#24)
If you and your family think you would like it there,who am I to tell you that you won't?
Especially since I haven't been there myself in decades.
sneakypete posted on 2018-06-04 09:30:59 Reply Private Reply