Usually when you see “No Swimming” signs, it’s because the water isn’t safe for swimmers, not because the swimmers are the wrong color. That’s so … 50 years ago. Or is it?
According to a report by NBC Philadelphia, more than 60 campers from the northeast part of the city were recently turned away from a private swim club because they happened to not be white.
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“I heard this lady, she was like, ‘Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?’ She’s like, ‘I’m scared they might do something to my child,’ ” said camper Dymire Baylor.
The Creative Steps Day Camp paid more than $1,900 to The Valley Swim Club for the privilege of swimming in its private pool. The club advertises open membership, but that didn’t seem to be the case when the Creative Steps campers arrived.
“When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool,” Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. “The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately.”
“There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club,” John Duesler, President of The Valley Swim Club said in a statement.
Thankfully, Girard College, a private boarding school in Philadelphia, stepped in to redeem the situation. So, though the Creative Steps campers experienced the ugly sting of bigotry, they also encountered the beauty of compassion and acceptance — an invaluable summer-camp education, for sure.
The Valley Swim Club is now under investigation for racial discrimination.
Thanks to Gina Dalfonzo at The Point for bringing this story to our attention.
LOL look guys its not a Public swimming pool its a club!! reserves the right to refuse anyone service i cannot go down to the elks lodge and buy a few drinks tonight because i am predisinvited! they would even call the cops on me bottom line Club=Private!
But Robin, the pool promoted an open membership and initially accepted the camp’s payment of $1900 so they could use the pool. They only pulled the privilege when they realized that it was a camp full of black kids. Not cool.
The 1950s just called; they want their bigotry back. It’s sobering and a little scary to realize this can still happen so blatantly today.
It is sad to see that some people can still be OPENLY prejudice. I do believe that it was an unforunate situation/experience for the children but also a beautiful one. To always remember that yes, people can still be ignorant and set a bad and disgusting example, however, there are a lot of generous, and encouraging individuals around us. I do hope that something is done about this incident. Yes, they may say that the club is PRIVATE, but once money was exchanged it was obviously no longer a private situation. Also, when you are advertising open membership, there is nothing private about that. The signs never read “EXCLUSIVE MEMBER SHIP ENROLLMENT” or anything like that. The children just wanted to have fun. It’s the adults that cause the issue.
Yes, the club is private.
Yes, they are legally allowed to refuse anyone.
Yes, they refused these kids service because they are racist.