Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones strives to shatter the stereotype that African Americans don't swim
In August 2010, six teenagers drowned in a river in Shreveport, Louisiana, while trying to rescue a friend in distress.
None of them, ranging from ages 13 to 18, knew how to swim. Neither did the adults nearby.
The teens joined the unfortunate statistics showing that African Americans are more likely to unintentionally drown at a much higher rate than Caucasians across all age groups.
The fatal drowning rate of black children aged 5 to 14 is almost three times that of white children in the same group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which also reported that African-American children aged 5 to 19 drown in swimming pools at rates 5.5 times higher than those of Caucasian children.
Nearly 64 percent of African-American children, 45 percent of Hispanic children and 40 percent of Caucasian children have no/low swimming ability, increasing their risk for drowning, according to the USA Swimming Foundation.
Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones teaches a young child to swim. (Photo/USA Swimming Foundation)
These disparities are likely associated with the fact that some minority populations lack basic swimming skills, according to the CDC. Part of the problem lies within the decades-old stereotype that African Americans don’t swim.
Olympic gold medalist swimmer Cullen Jones, who survived a near-drowning in a Pennsylvania amusement park at 5 years old and went on to become a world record holder, now works with young swimmers across the United States to shatter the stereotype.
Through the Phillips 66 Make a Splash Tour, now in its 10th year, Jones travels the country with the USA Swimming Foundation, teaching kids the importance of learning to swim and not fearing the water.
A 2017 study from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and University of Memphis showed that fear is the top reason that kids don’t learn to swim.
“Many times, the number-two reason is that parents transplant their own fears onto their children,” Jones told AccuWeather. “We want to reach them at a younger age so they understand to respect the water; it’s not just a great sport, but it is a life skill.”
History of the stereotype
The racial stereotype regarding the swimming abilities of African Americans has existed and persisted in the United States as early as the 1920s, Jones said.
“If you look back on history, a lot of African Americans didn’t have access to pools, and many times, we were told that black people don’t swim,” Jones said.
Swimming pool segregation often limited African Americans’ access to swimming facilities, stunting their abilities to learn the essential life skill.
“There was a radio announcement stating that the bone density of African Americans is the reason why they don’t swim; it’s because they sink,” said Jones, who swam his way to victory in two Olympic Games, all without the ability to float in the water.
“It has nothing to do with floating; everything about swimming has to do with education,” he said.
Black hair culture has also contributed to the negative stereotype, according to Temple University professor Lori Tharps, who co-authored “Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America."
“[Stemming from childhood], black women in particular might avoid the water because it would require more time spent [re-styling and maintaining] the hair,” Tharps said. “Water is usually not friends with the average black hairstyle.”
The Make a Splash initiative, now in its 10th year, has reached over 6 million young swimmers. (Photo/USA Swimming Foundation)
“If Mom isn’t teaching you to swim because she doesn’t want to have to redo your hair, then you’re just perpetuating this myth of black people not getting near the water,” said Tharps, who added that, extending beyond merely a cosmetic issue, some styles that might be more easily manageable with swimming may not always be considered acceptable in school or the workplace, for example.
“We have to figure out that the cost of hair isn’t more valuable than the cost of saving our lives and being able to participate in water sports,” she said.
Making progress
The Make a Splash initiative has reached over 6 million children across the country, demonstrating that progress is being made.
“When they learn to swim, they’re going to teach their children how to swim, because they'll recognize and understand its importance," Jones said.
Olympic swimming stars, including Ryan Lochte, Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky, have joined Jones on the Make a Splash Tour, helping boost the kids’ enthusiasm about the sport.
“We really get kids excited by bringing the stars in front of them, showing them the medals, telling them that this is something that they can do,” said Jones.
“We’ve changed the scope of believing that black people don’t swim,” he said. “To see the next generation starting to grow and develop, and you’re seeing more African Americans [like Simone Manuel and Lia Neal] in the pool and at the higher level, it really means a lot.”
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