Breaking Barriers: Youth Black Swim Program

Growing up in the predominantly white community of Peel region during the 1970s, I was fortunate to live near a community pool that I frequented regularly with my friends during open swim and for lessons.  My mother insisted we take swimming lessons even though she did not know how to swim and grew up in Barbados, in fact she feared the water. She recognized that swimming was more than a recreational skill, but a matter of life and safety. Like my mother, I made sure my Black daughters knew how to swim and enrolled them in not only swimming lessons but also competitive swimming at a young age as I wanted my girls to be confident and safe around water.

A few years ago, my girls realized that many of the Black students in their school could not swim and would often miss field trips that involved the water.  My daughters wanted to find a way to ensure that all Black students could fully participate in every school experience. What began as a conversation quickly turned into action and funding was secured for Kingston’s first Black and Racialized Youth Swim Program. The program was led by a local Black swim instructor, with my daughters as volunteers.

Today, my daughters are certified lifeguards and swim instructors. They are breaking down long-standing barriers to access and are creating a Black Youth Swim Program to ensure that future generations of Black youth not only learn to swim, but also reclaim space, safety, and belonging in and around the water.

Chair of AABRRC—Andrea Barrow