4 Reasons Why I Suspect Many Black People Don’t Bother to Swim

And how that’s beginning to change

I’m inspired to write this after reading Jeffrey Kass’s exceptional story Why Are Black People Afraid of Swimming: Understanding generational trauma. If you haven’t already read it, please do so as he shares some important history lessons many — especially White people — may not be aware of or hardly think of in terms of generational impact.

Before we get started, I just want to say that my list would’ve originally shared six possible reasons why Black people don’t bother to swim. However, Jeffrey’s article already highlighted two very good ones which I won’t rehash, such as:

• America’s racist history of prohibiting Black people from swimming in public pools
• African ancestors thrown overboard by the psychopaths who trafficked them from Africa to the Americas

Both of these reasons, I believe, have had a tremendous impact on CHOSSA (Children of Stolen & Sold Africans) who either prefer not to swim, have never learned to swim or who actually fear swimming. You’ll have to read Jeffrey’s full story for more detail surrounding these points as I’m not going to expound on them here. Instead, I want to add four more observations which may explain why so many Black people avoid swimming in pools or the ocean.

1. Africans Who Disappeared Near the Sea

Once, while watching a video on YouTuber Tayo Aina’s channel, I heard him complain about the beautiful coastlines in West Africa remaining largely undeveloped. Comparing them to popular coastal destinations like those found in Hawaii and Florida, Tayo, who is Nigerian, couldn’t understand why Africans weren’t taking advantage of these natural gifts the Continent has in abundance. South Africa, Seychelles, Mauritius all have lively coastal resorts and attractions, but these are few and far between in western parts of the Continent like Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia and Senegal despite each possessing miles and miles of uninterrupted beachfront land.

One thing Tayo mentioned that stood out to me was that he and other Africans had grown up being told to fear the sea due to tales of people disappearing when they got too close to it. He believed this was something parents made up to keep their children from wandering near the water. I have another theory, though.

Knowing that so many Africans were never seen or heard from again after being captured and sold into slavery, it is quite possible that the stories African parents tell their children aren’t exactly fictional. Some people did disappear when they got too close to the sea! By some accounts one of my own possible ancestors, Egya Amkwandoh, disappeared in such a way only to later turn up on George Washington’s forced labor camp (i.e. plantation) with a new name, Quander.

To avoid capture, many Africans moved inland away from the shores where European traffickers built forts and lived year round. The fear of water some CHOSSA have may very well come from these experiences. If you know anything at all about epigenetics, (and you should read Andrew Gaertner’s article if you don’t), you know that trauma can impact future offspring for many generations.

2. Beauty Standards and Hair

Another reason why many CHOSSA might not bother to swim could be due to European beauty standards and Black hair. While we all have different hair textures, none of them were acceptable in school or the workplace until… well, we’re still waiting to find out as the CROWN Act, a bill introduced specifically to protect Black people from hair discrimination, is currently before Congress. Straightening hair to adhere to dress codes and expectations takes a lot of time, energy, money and does serious damage our strands over time. We’ve had to undergo straightening in order to get an education or make a living, but few have enjoyed getting their hair wet unnecessarily only to have to go home and restyle it in order to fit into White environments the next day.

From before Tignon Laws — which were enacted to force Black women to cover their hair in public — to today, Black hair has always been a controversial, multi-layered and politicized topic. When it comes to swimming, it hasn’t been easy for Black people to ignore this and just take a carefree jump in a pool or a dip in the ocean. And covering our hair for such activities isn’t always the easiest to do, either. Who remembers the swim cap controversy at the 2020 Summer Olympics?

Luckily, as more Black people embrace the natural hair movement (yes, there’s an entire movement in motion to support us in wearing our hair exactly as it grows out of our heads), things like working out (which involves moisture from perspiration) and swimming are becoming more commonplace among Black people. Since chlorine is a particular enemy of textured manes, there’s even a haircare line dedicated exclusively to Black hair called Eban.

3. Might Modesty Play a Role?

In Ghana, I’ve noticed that very few Africans wear swimwear at the beach. Shorts and tank tops, yes, but bikinis or even one piece suits? Not so much. A few guys may take their shirts off, but most pack beaches fully clothed even on the hottest days and they remain mostly on the sand and avoid the water. Ghana is also a heavily Christian country.

Here in the states, I’ve spent a lot of time around very “churchy” people and, even in 2022, many don’t believe in women wearing pants or shorts or even dresses that are too form-fitting. And while, not all but some will don a bathing suit to swim, it’s a very rare occasion that they do so. I can’t swear this is a reason for Black people bypassing the water, but I know there’s a big emphasis on modesty in some Black Christian denominations both here and in Africa. I’m just saying that it’s very hard to develop strong swimming skills if you avoid dressing for the occasion.

4. Colorism

Some Black people simply do not want to spend too much time in the sun for fear of getting darker. Since most water activities happen outdoors during summer months, there’s an avoidance that takes place. I hate writing about this because I hate what White supremacy has done to my people. Beautiful dark skin has been so vilified that those blessed with it, don’t want it or don’t want more of it. I’ve seen a lot of CHOSSA elders cover up, sit under awnings and do everything they can while poolside or at the beach just to avoid too much sun exposure which may darken their skin.

I don’t think this is as much an issue with younger generations as it once was with our elders, but if the elders are who teaches you to swim and they don’t want any parts of the sun or water how do children learn?

Now, to be clear, a whole lot of Black people do swim. If the estimates that 64% of Black children can’t swim are correct, then so it is that 36% can. Jeffrey mentioned some celebrated athletes who swim competitively in his story (again, don’t forget to read it when you’re done here). There are others who swim for reasons that have little to do with competition or recreation, however, and it’s important to mention them here.

Swimming in Memory and Unity

Every year, hundreds of Africans gather in Dakar, Senegal for a three and a half mile swim to Goree Island, which is best known in history as an outpost where humans were trafficked during Trans-Atlantic slavery. Swimmers take the annual plunge in memory of the African ancestors lost to the brutal conditions of chattel slavery. They also take the dive to commemorate the courage of those few who were able to escape from the island and swim the several miles distance back to the mainland to avoid being shipped away to the Americas.

Interrupted by recent events which prohibited travel, an American group of CHOSSA known as Black Kids Swim have organized to join the event. Making the journey to swim in memory of those lost and those lucky enough to escape, BKS also plans to join with Africans who gather for the Goree swim as a way to show unity between CHOSSA and our African siblings who show up every year ready to honor our shared ancestors in this way.

So while Black people do swim — we own swimming pools, we surf and enjoy water activities just like everyone else — there are plenty of reasons why a lot of us don’t enjoy the water at all. Sadly, all of these possible reasons are rooted in racism/White supremacy. For every Black person we know who loves the sun and being near water, we know another who steers clear of it.

Black people opting not to swim is another instance of everyday, ordinary things non-Black people don’t think about, but that speak directly to our experiences as the Children of Stolen & Sold Africans. So, when you say history didn’t happen to us or ask, “Why is everything always about race with Black people?” consider that there just may be a hidden history and trauma you’re unaware of, but that we aren’t.

Personally, I swim and my husband grew up with a pool in his backyard so he’s part fish. Our son swims and our four young grandsons take swimming lessons every summer. Our elders and friends are another story, though.

I Want to Hear Your Thoughts and Experiences

So, as a Black person, what’s your experience with swimming? If you are CHOSSA and were reared outside of the U.S. — especially in the Caribbean — I’m curious to know if swimming is common among the majority of Black people where you grew up? What about your elders? Same questions for those born and raised in Africa. What’s the status of Black people swimming where you grew up?

Really, I’d like to hear from everyone about their swimming experiences (a lot of White people don’t swim, either), so I’ll meet you in the comments where we can finish this discussion.

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