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While swimming is a popular pastime for many Americans, a history of discrimination at pools nationwide in the 20th century has led to startling racial disparities in swimming abilities. A 2017 USA Swimming Foundation report found more than 6 in 10 African American children have low to no swimming skills.

And that has deadly consequences: Black and Latino children are statistically much more likely to drown than their white peers.

This hour, we hear from a historian about how we got to this point.

And we ask: with swimming lessons canceled because of COVID-19 and no lifeguards at beaches, are kids at greater risk of drowning this summer during the pandemic?

GUESTS:
Jeff Wiltse - Professor of History at University of Montana and author of Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America
Harold Sparrow - President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Hartford
Kevin Borrup - Interim director of the Injury Prevention Center at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, also a member of the Commission on Women, Children & Seniors’ Water Safety Awareness Task Force

While swimming is a popular pastime for many Americans, a history of discrimination at pools nationwide in the 20th century has led to startling racial disparities in swimming abilities.<a href="https://www.usaswimmingfoundation.org/utility/landing-pages/news/2017/05/25/usa-swimming-foundation-announces-5-10-percent-increase-in-swimming-ability-among-u.s.-children">&nbsp;A 2017 USA Swimming Foundation report&nbsp;</a>found more than 6 in 10 African American children have low to no swimming skills.
And that has deadly consequences:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6319a2.htm?s_cid=mm6319a2_w">Black and Latino children are statistically much more likely to drown than their white peers</a>.
This hour, we hear from a historian about how we got to this point.
And we ask: with swimming lessons canceled because of COVID-19 and no lifeguards at beaches, are kids at greater risk of drowning this summer during the pandemic?
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Jeff Wiltse -&nbsp;Professor of History at University of Montana and author of&nbsp;<a href="https://uncpress.org/book/9780807871270/contested-waters/">Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America</a></li>
<li>Harold Sparrow -&nbsp;President and CEO of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ghymca.org/">YMCA of Greater Hartford</a></li>
<li>Kevin Borrup -&nbsp;Interim director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.connecticutchildrens.org/community-child-health/community-child-health-programs/injury-prevention-center/">Injury Prevention Center</a>&nbsp;at Connecticut Children&rsquo;s Medical Center, also a member of the Commission on Women, Children &amp; Seniors&rsquo;&nbsp;<a href="https://ctcwcs.com/water-safety-for-kids/">Water Safety Awareness Task Force</a></li>
</ul>

Produced by Connecticut Public, 'Where We Live' puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.

Produced by Connecticut Public, '<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/about">Where We Live'</a> puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.

Where We Live is a call-in talk show about who we are in Connecticut and our place in the world.

Where We Live

Produced by Connecticut Public, '<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/about">Where We Live'</a> puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.

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