ST. LOUIS — As the summer heat blares on, many children are eager to splash in the pool. However, before you get into the pool, the importance of swim safety comes into mind. This summer, 5 on Your Side has focused on swim safety on our morning show, ‘'Today in St. Louis'.
The CDC reports there are racial disparities in the rate of drownings among American children. The department reported the disparities are highest among Black children ages 5-9 (with drowning rates in any body of water at 2.6 times higher than white children of the same age) and ages 10-14 (rates 3.6 times higher).
In swimming pools, the numbers are even more staggering.
The CDC reported Black children between the ages of 10 and 14 are more likely to drown in swimming pools than white kids in the same age group. Experts detailed how this disparity exists and how they’re working to make sure all kids in the St. Louis area have an equal opportunity to swim safely.
5 On Your Side's Sydney Stallworth sat with Dr. Ayanna Rakhu, the Founder of Sankofa Swim International and a board member of the SWIM ON Foundation in St. Louis. Rakhu addresses the common American misconception and stereotype that Black people don’t swim.’
Dr. Rakhu said, “We do swim and so do other cultures. There is just this disparity that we drown at a higher rate.”
The racial disparities in swim proficiency are nothing new, especially when it comes to Black Americans.
Rakhu has dedicated her life to finding the root cause, and she says a major one could date back to the 1920s when the explosion of pool buildings across the country and the height of segregation collided.
“St. Louis had one of the bigger pool-building sprees,” She added, “People would come, and they’d have leisure and luxury, and all those things. At that time, black people were then excluded from those types of pools and even beachfront and lakefronts.”
Explaining how the effects of segregation still linger, Rakhu explained that "three generations, four generations where it’s been passed down that ‘No, swimming is dangerous. We’re not allowed there, we can’t do that.”
But she says going further back in time may help halt some of the hesitation.
”Let's go back to the 1400s, to the 1800s. African people were the best swimmers, boaters, divers, fishermen, and surfers," She described. “Particularly, Black women were masters of the water in ways that they traded between ships, carried things on their back, and dove depths of water 40-50 feet.”
Through her organization, Sankofa Swim, Rakhu ties in this element of the past to build a safer future for black families in Milwaukee, where she currently lives, and in her hometown of St. Louis.
“I teach young children lifesaving skills in the way of a lifeguard," she said.
Birch McMullen, the owner of British Swim School agreed with Rakhu.
“There is a definite disparity in terms of the numbers. Figuring out the exact cause is tricky.”
McMullen and his family run the SWIM ON Foundation, based in St. Louis. The foundation was created in memory of Birch’s brother Nicholas, who drowned at 22 months old in a swimming pool.
Now he dedicates his life to teaching kids to swim so no family has to experience that same tragedy.
“There are studies that show swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning in kids ages 1-4 by 88 percent, which is amazing," he said.
But, other barriers are sinking efforts for equality.
McMullen explained, “Neighborhoods with lower incomes are less likely to have community pools. And swim lessons typically are not cheap."
He said, “We have been offering scholarships to get kids enrolled. We have been doing that for a while through a program called Hope Floats.”
These swim safety advocates are teaming up to help families learn to float and freestyle this summer.
McMullen said, “We’re currently working on opening up a program in North St. Louis County that would primarily be swim scholarships working with the SWIM ON Foundation.”
McMullen believes North St. Louis County is underserved in terms of access to swimming lessons. But, when they sent out initial information on the new program, they got an overwhelming response of interest from residents.
"First it’s dealing with the trauma and then finding water as a healing space.” Rakhu added, “When SWIM ONFoundation calls, I’m there to answer.”
British Swim School and SWIM ON Foundation will be posting more information on online for the swim lessons coming soon to the North St. Louis County area.