Why can only 20% of black children and only 5% of black adults in England swim?
SST Member Tyrone Cassius, Chair of the NEEDSs group, went along to a special screening of Ed Accura’s film ‘Blacks Can’t Swim: Rewind’ at the University of East London, to find out more and raise awareness of the issue.
Renowned producer Accura, co-founder of the Black Swimming Association (BSA), explores the stigmas and stereotypes which have helped shape the narrative and thought processes as to why a disproportionate number of people from African, Caribbean and Asian heritage in England do not swim. The figures for Asian adults and children are not much better; 93% of adults and 78% of children do not swim and according to the WHO, people from ethnic minorities are at increased risk of drowning.
The screening and Q & A with Accura, who attended the session in person, was laid on to celebrate the arrival of a pop-up swimming pool on the Docklands Campus, designed to encourage students and staff to learn to swim or swim for health and fitness.
Tyrone, who also runs Specifeye, a London based health and wellbeing clinic, said: “The film deals with some of the myths associated with Black and Asian people. Parents talk about their relationship with water and the myths they grew up with such as having dense bones so it’s harder to float, swimming not being good for black hair because of the chlorine and black people not being built for swimming.’
Two dramatised stories lie at the heart of the film with two 15-year-olds Tyra and Javell facing different swimming related issues; Tyra is training to be an elite swimmer but quits and Javell has a dream to join the marines but a requirement for joining is being able to swim – he can’t.
Tyrone, said: ‘The Q & A which followed, brought together a diverse group of staff, students and visitors and it was an opportunity to talk about our own experiences.
‘One of the big things that came up which we all identified with, was about culture; parents, grandparents and a history of them not swimming. They don’t swim therefore their child doesn’t swim and it becomes a cycle.’
One of Accura’s barriers to learning to swim, he learned in his fifties, was a fear factor, but not for himself. Tyrone explained:
‘Quite a few of us in the discussion were parents ourselves so we could relate and share our own experiences. If we are uncomfortable around water, we don’t want our children around water, because we can’t help them, so no-one swims.
‘Our fear of something negative happening stops us letting the next generation learn how to swim and that came up a lot. That was one of Ed’s barriers.’
Another issue highlighted, according to Tyrone, is the lack of role models:
‘We talk about the things we see and hear about. We don’t see black people swimming and competing at a high level. We do see footballers and athletes and musicians so we go towards them,’
The BSA is forging strong links with organisations such as the RNLI, Swim England and schools, communities and local councils to raise awareness. They are also engaging ambassadors such as Alice Dearing, one of GB’s leading open water swimmers.
For Tyrone being a father with three young daughters has encouraged him to learn to swim.
He said: ‘If I can’t swim and my child then gets into issues in the water, I can’t save them. It’s important to learn and not to say I can’t swim, so that no-one swims. We have to change the narrative.’
This makes parents as well as children a prime target for encouragement.
‘It sounds obvious but if more communities swim, more people get involved in it and more opportunities come from it.
‘It’s about not being afraid to have the conversation.’ said Tyrone
As Members what can you do to change the narrative?
View the trailer here:
Blacks Can’t Swim REWIND The Official Trailer – YouTube
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