Day #3 | Parental Responsibility

As a parent you have a responsibility to make sure your child has basic water survival skills.  A study commissioned by USA Swimming revealed that almost 70-percent of African American children cannot swim.  If you can't swim you can drown.  It's a life or death situation.

Peace,
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Check the stats:

US swimming stats

• USA Swimming/University of Memphis study found ethnic differences
• 68.9% of African-American children with no or low ability to swim
• 57.9% of Hispanic children
• 41.8% of white children
• Study quizzed 2,000 children and parents in six US cities
• CDC recorded 3,443 fatal accidental drownings in 2007
• Drowning is second greatest cause of accidental death in children under 14
• African-American children aged 5 to 14 3.1 times more likely to drown

Theories for low black American swimming rates

• Propagation of incorrect scientific theories such as black people being much less buoyant
• Historic factors going as far back as slaves not being allowed to learn to swim
• Denial of access to pools in 1920s and 30s causing ripple effect to present day
• Lack of municipal pools in predominantly black neighbourhoods in 1960s onwards
• Perception of swimming as elitist or white sport

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11172054