Swimming Lessons Are Definitely On My To-Do List (page 9)

snowbird

I talked to my sister in Atlanta last night, brought up this topic.

She succinctly replied that it's because we always regarded swimming, golfing, and playing tennis as "their" pursuits.

Almost took my breath away in its simplicity.

Syl

undercover

She succinctly replied that it's because we always regarded swimming, golfing, and playing tennis as "their" pursuits.

I guess she's never heard of Lee Elder, Tiger Woods or the Williams sisters and Arthur Ashe...

Yeah but black islanders from the Caribbean swim more, so I chalk it up to culture. I don't think I've ever met a Cuban that can't swim, black or white. A good friend of mine from my youth in the dubs escaped Cuba by swimming across Guantanamo bay to the US base at night and he is as black as you can get. We would joke with him about being invisible to the Communists in the dark. He was safe if he kept his eyes closed and didn't smile.

And here is another thing. I read a scientific study the other day about body geometry. African descended people have their navels higher up on their bodies, this is a proxy for the length of their legs. This means they are usually better runners. However, this geometry is less efficient for swimming. In swimming shorter legs are more efficient, which gives Asians and Caucasians a general advantage. If you look at Olympic sports, you see how this plays out.

BTS

FlyingHighNow

I've never thought of swimming as a white thing.

undercover

I've never thought of swimming as a white thing.

If you go to the city pools in my area, you wouldn't get the impression of it being just a white thing.

snowbird

I guess she's never heard of Lee Elder, Tiger Woods or the Williams sisters and Arthur Ashe...

*sigh*

Those barriers have only recently been broken, UC.

We were speaking of our experiences growing up under Jim Crow laws and restrictions.

Come out of your cocoon and do a little research, for goodness' sake!

Burn, it has to do with the fear-conditioning that Black people experienced. My sister told me of an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about an 80-something-year old, self-taught man who'd accomplished so much and amassed a number of honorary degrees.

When asked if he feared anything, he replied, "Yes. White people."

She told me that, reading those poignant words, she wept profusely.

Those things are real.

Syl

snowbird

I've never thought of swimming as a white thing.

As a child, I, and many others, did.

Syl

BurnTheShips

I believe you Snow, I always wondered why.

I guess she's never heard of Lee Elder, Tiger Woods or the Williams sisters and Arthur Ashe...

BTS

Broken Promises

Well, the plantation days are over, White people aren’t as prejudiced as black people think, and the kids that died wouldn’t have if their parents had taken the time to teach them to swim.

snowbird

Ouch, Burn!!!

Mercy on us!

Syl

Swimming Lessons Are Definitely On My To-Do List

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