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BBC News Podcast - Black Girls Don't Swim
"Seren Jones swam competitively for 13 years in the UK and in the US collegiate system. But in that time she only ever saw six other black girls in the pool. Why so few? A survey published by the University of Memphis and USA Swimming found that black respondents were significantly more concerned about getting their hair wet, and about the negative impact of chemicals on their appearances, than white respondents.
Seren explores whether maintaining ‘good’ hair really is the leading factor behind why black women do not take part in competitive swimming. And what, if anything, is being done about it?"
Within the podcast, Seren interviews Darrell Fogan.
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Published: August 6, 2019
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NPR - How D.C. Schools Are Swimming Against The Racist History Of America’s Pools
Darrell Fogan was interviewed by Kate McGee of NPR on stereotypes facing African Americans and swimming.
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Listen to the NPR interview here.
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Interview Highlights -
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" [']The biggest stereotype I get is that black people can’t swim,['] said Darrell Fogan, a swim coach and former Howard University professor who studies the history of African Americans and swimming. Fogan says it’s a cyclical issue: black people were denied access and opportunity to learn and practice swimming, which means the skill wasn’t passed on to the next generation. During segregation, Fogan says, [']they thought they couldn’t swim and it would be safe to just make smaller pools.[']"
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Click here for the full NPR article.
Published: October 19, 2017
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