Swim, Black, Swim!

During my short stay back in Jersey,

I ate dinner with my mom and caught the news.

One story in particular mentioned

black families hanging out by the lake for a cookout.

Well, a few of the kids decided to go in the water.

Soon they started to drown.

None of them knew how to swim.

None of the parents went in after them.

Alas, they too could not swim.

They had to watch as their children's lungs filled with water.

This is a serious issue in the African American community.

I know many a black folk who can not swim.

I'm one of them.

There are a couple of reasons for this.

1) Fear of the unknown in the water

2) Not privileged enough to receive swimming lessons

3) Preconceived notion that swimming is a white activity

4) Fear of messing up our hair [I'm just playin... but I'm sayin.]

Of course I'm not saying black people can't swim.

I know quite a few who can.

Shoot, the one black guy, Cullen Jones, who competed and won

in the 4x100m freestyle swimming relay

graduated from my high school.

[a lil St Benedict's pride for you there]

But he was only the second black person to do this.

Black people,

we have to overcome our fear of large bodies of water

if we want to avoid another loss like the one I described.

Find someone in your community to give you lessons,

even if you have to start off in a bathtub.

It wouldn't hurt for you to make some white friends, too.

Invite them to your next trip to the lake

and make sure they don't drink too much

so they can serve at the lifeguard.

...you think I'm playing. haha

Don't worry,

I'mma find me someone to teach me how to swim

before I graduate in the big ass pool at the school's gym.

I mean, swimming is more important than dougie-ing.

And hey,

maybe once we learn how to swim

we can tackle frozen water and start playing hockey, too.

...you're right. Baby steps, baby steps.

Word.