Pool's Closed

A little less than a year ago, a racial incident in Pennsylvania captured the attention of a nice chunk of the American public.

The incident, which involved black and brown children from a day camp having their swimming privileges revoked at an all-white club, had all the elements that Americans love in their racial incidents these days.

Easily identifiable good guys and bad guys, a sniff of classism, and no serious injuries. Media groups had a field day with the story in the way that they rarely do with stories of Latinos being beaten to death by all-white gangs.

The incident, which ended with the swim club going bankrupt and being sold at auction, was seen by some as a throwback to a less-refined time in America's past. Other folks saw it as another example of black and brown folks butting in where they really aren't wanted.

While I was upset at the time, I've come to realize that I don't have much anger now.

It's not because I don't feel for those children, some of whom got introduced to racism, and others who got a reminder that the idea of a post-racial world is a pipe dream. I've had similar experiences as a child when I was treated harshly and differently because of my skin color and that always, ALWAYS hurts. But, beyond my sympathy for the children, I don't feel much else.

Like most discussions of racism these days, there was no depth to the competing opinions and newscasts, so ultimately the story had no real legs. Within a few weeks it was forgotten and nothing had been changed.

It's discouraging to see how often this plays out in our country. All of us get hot and bothered about outrageous incidents of racism, and fail to see how they fit into the bigger picture. We don't discuss the policies that led to this clash of cultures, we don't discuss the mindsets bred into the children on both sides. We just point our fingers and yammer away.

The wheel keeps spinning, and we keep finding new ways to distract ourselves.

For example, there was a big fuss about the fact that this private swim club didn't want poor black kids, but nobody ever questioned why these kids had to travel outside of the city to swim in the first place. That was just taken as normal.

I wondered why there were no public swimming options in Philly? Do city officials not realize that black kids like to stay cool in the summer and that studies have shown that giving children viable recreational opportunities can reduce violence?

Or how about the issue of "private clubs" in general. How many other private clubs are all white or damn near all-white? How many of them are all-black and all-brown?

Why is it that a nation so obsessed with "diversity" is so filled with people whose private lives tell a far different story? And, I'm not judging folks because I have to count as part of the problem since my private life is very monochromatic.

We all claim that we love everybody regardless of their race, and then as soon as we can we surround ourselves with folks who look like us. That cognitive dissonance explains private swim clubs, white flight and the hardcore segregation found in America on Sunday morning.

These issues are at the heart of racial issues in this country, yet they are rarely discussed. Most of us don't have any interest in discussing them, to be honest. That would require too much introspection, too much thinking and possibly, too much guilt. It's far easier to express shock that anyone could be so mean to little children in these modern times.

Why dive into the depths when floating on the surface takes much less effort?




Share