Title: The Urgent Need for Accessible Public Pools in Communities
- Cullen Jones, an Olympic swimmer, advocates for children's access to swimming lessons following his own near-drowning experience.
- He emphasizes the importance of swimming skills for children's safety and well-being.
- Jones believes that every child should have the opportunity to learn to swim.
Cullen Jones, a two-time Olympian and four-time Olympic medalist, reflects on the critical importance of accessible public pools for community health and safety. After a near-drowning incident in his childhood, Jones emphasizes that swimming lessons are essential not only for preventing such tragedies but also for providing relief during increasingly hot summer months. However, many communities still lack affordable public pools, which are vital resources for their residents. Jones highlights the deep-rooted stigmas surrounding swimming in the Black community, where phrases like “You know Black people don’t swim!” perpetuate harmful narratives. He cites Heather McGhee’s book, “The Sum of Us,” which discusses how systemic racism has historically led to the disinvestment of public pools, resulting in fewer opportunities for Black individuals to learn how to swim. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 36.8% of Black adults do not know how to swim, a stark contrast to the 15% of all adults. Economic factors also play a significant role in swimming accessibility. A 2017 study from the USA Swimming Foundation revealed that 79% of children from families earning under $50,000 have little to no swimming experience. This disparity is not coincidental but rather a consequence of systemic discrimination that has led to food deserts and a lack of community resources in majority-Black neighborhoods. Jones calls for increased access to public pools and safety programs, stressing that as summers grow hotter, the availability of safe swimming environments should be a priority for all communities.