Keeping their heads above water

I'm surprised but Sadly not Shocked. White people like the Parents mentioned in this story only know black people through tv programs like cops and rap videos on BET. They believe, erroneously, that all blacks conduct themselves in that manner and that every black child is just waiting to snatch their purses and or defile their angelic white bodies. And of course when this does happen from time to time, EVERY black man in America is responsible for the actions of a few, What a terrible terrible terrible Burden to place on a man! To tell him That no matter how many positive actions you taken in life, no matter how hard you've worked to get where you are and despite the numerous sacrifices and petty instances of racism you've endured you and your children can still, in 2009, be booted out of a swimming pool because some silly white woman dosen't see you as a person, she only sees dark pigmentation and all the negative connotations that come with it. Sometimes i don't think the World is worth fighting for. *Sign*

Philly like NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, is one of the most racist cities in this country, so, nothing new other than the fact that the low class, gun toting Pennsylvania whites at the club owned up to being racists, usually they lie about it and the parents of these kids need to sue.

I'm not surprised at all. Under all this love we still have hate.... Deep hate in America. I'll say this also. We will have a huge amount of backlash from Obama being our President. I can see it now... We got our country back! when his term over. It's sad.

If I can get real, here are some facts for ya. The demographics are changing.... These kids that have been turned away today just may do that to your grand kids tomorrow. You see... Just as we now have black Doctors, Judges, Lawyers, and now the first black president. Some of these kids will become the leaders of this country that rejects them at any cost. Let's see how it feels when white isn't the accepted color. As sure as I'm writing this that day is coming..... Keeping it Real!

It's funny cause 30 years ago my family was not allowed to join there cause we are Jewish. I guess that place has not changed. It's a real shame.

not cool phila and pitt with miss in the middle crazy and sad

Wow. That is straight-up madness in 2009 no less.
I hope they conduct some kind of discussion session to talk to the kids about what happened. That's a hurtful thing to do to kids. Think the adults need to make sure the kids know the folks at club are the ones with the problem and not the children.

Very, very unfortunate event for what it says not only to the minority children visiting the club but also to the white kids who are members. I'd like to see them take some heat for their racism.

If people who call themselves white, want their own clubs and swimming pools. We as Blacks, should allow them to have their own with no problems. We don't need to join their clubs and swim in their pools to have a good time.

After all these years, there are still people like Mr. Duesler who make these types of comments. What needs to be done is to have him removed from his position. Kids will only duplicate what adults show them and this man has shown and said ENOUGH!!! Shame on him and his white club's complexion.

I think black people need to come together and build there own country clubs, club swimming pools etc... Stop! Trying to be a part of white orginizations, giving them your money especially if you are not excepted, white people are not the beginning and certainly not the end. The White Folk that didn't want you in the pool is trifuling, trashy, no class, uneducated and the above.... And you want to be associated with that. Not all white folk are bad and ignorant but in this case they were. BLACK PEOPLE TAKE YOUR PLACE! TAKE YOUR PLACE!

No thanks I'll take my own self out to lunch. No thanks I'll dig my own swimming pool and lay around with my own bunch. Oscar Brown Jr. 40 Acres and a Mule.

I think these kids handled themselves with a great deal of class, and dignity, and their parrents deserve alot of credit. As for this racist country club, dont we have federal laws prohibiting this Jim Crow kinda stuff? So the Fbi should be paying them a visit to see if they have any patterns of discrimination. And for the white Americans that think black people over-react, and are parinoid about racism. This shows you, that this isnt some created fantasy in our minds. We have to face this crap DAILY!!! Like the previous comment said, most of us are strong and we fight through it. But some of the weaker brothers, break-down go crazy and terrorize yahl white asses. SO Yahl need to pray for more strong brothers & sista's cause if we loose it, it's yahls loss baby!!!!!

We didn't fight for years to have this sought of thing continue right under our nose to our babies. It's up to us to stop it now. That place needs to be investigated and shut down if necessary. On several levels they are probably violating rights of others. Do not tell us how we feel or how we should feel.

I don't buy that one of the parents thought that one of the black kids would hurt her child. People choose to believe what they want to believe despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. "The black people are the bogey man" myth has been disproven for decades, but these so-called educated and enlightened white people are still the same racists that lynched countless innocents of color back during the heyday of Jim Crow. I hope and pray that the parents of the children of color sue the swim club blind. This is unacceptable and indefensible!

So funny that you speak of myths then state as fact that educated white people are racist, of the ilk that lynched countless innocent folk in the heyday of jim crow. It's a myth. The devil thing still makes me laugh too.

I stand corrected, Brooklyn Moe. I guess Black kids being thrown out of a swimming pool because they would change the complexion of an all white swim club was just a big misunderstanding. Just like Emmett Till, The Black Church Bombing which killed little black girls, The LAPD beating Rodney King senseless and three civil rights workers (two of whom were white) gunned down and buried deep in the Mississippi mud were just misunderstandings as well. Tacit racism is more deadly than active racism because it allows it to grow and become more and more overt and damaging. Call it out to root it out. To do nothing is worse than burning a cross or wearing the hood.

Omar - you've obviously missed my point. Are there educated white racists? No doubt. But you seem to be suggesting that educated white people, collectively, are racist. And that's ridiculous. A great many educated white people helped drive the civil rights movement and countless numbers of educated white people continue to work toward social/civil justice. You've used a broad brush to paint educated white folk. Come out to my hood...I'll introduce you to some black bogey men. That doesn't mean that all black folk are the bogey man any more than all educated white folk are racist. Those people at that pool don't speak for me.

brooklyn moe -- I'm going to stick my nose in this back and forth between you and Omar. I think you missed Omar's point. I didn't read Omar's post as a blanket statement that educated white people are racist. I thought he was only referring to the white people who belong to that particular club in PA and was basically presuming that people who belong to a private country club are likely to be educated people. I didn't think he was making a blanket statement about educated white.

White people always have to make everything about them. Get over your damn selves. Here we are talking about our babies being discriminated against by white adults and some white dude decides to take offense. I have some words for Brooklyn Moe but they are not appropriate for this forum. Don't be coming up in here telling us what is myth from reality. You's a devil.

The whole point is that those young African Ameriscan children or anyone else should not be subjected to that type of blatant discrimination. I personally hope somebody sues those bigots. Let's not miss the point. What they did was wrong.

Is this the official policy of the Valley Swim Club? Is there a set number of minorities that are allowed in the pool? Could this club be in violation of the Commerce Clause like all of those lunch counters in the Pre Civil Rights Era South? Either way, the club is what I would expect from Philadelphia, and I hope the kids get to stay cool this summer, and find some representation.

My heart goes out to those kids that had to experience all of that. That club needs to be closed down, in my opinion. It really doesn't seem like a fair an honest person is running that place. All we can do is pray for all the wickedness that's out there. Lord help them all!!

We should concentrate on the response of the kids. They are the ones who've shown the adults maturity, and class. Black people haave always dealt with the hell un-leashed on us by whites. With grace & dignity. We have alot to be proud of. So everyone commenting on this story be sure God is still blessing us, inspite of the ingnorance of some of our white brothers and sisters.

Robin- Thank you for clarifying. There are two types of racists. Overt and covert. The overt threw the kids out of the pool, the -covert try to justify and say that the black people are blowing things out of proportion and that racism doesn't exist and that black people are being overly sensitive. Some people are just clueless since they have never been victims of overt racism. But when it rears its ugly head, they are outraged and speak out. Brooklyn Moe, I have an aunt whose white and educated and I love her just like she was born into our family instead of marrying into it. One day, she and my uncle were dining in a restaurant in a progressive California town and got icy stares. My aunt looked around and courageously gave my uncle the most passionate kiss and said that if people didn't like it, they could fornicate themselves. (I was there and I say YOU GO. AUNT MIRIAM!!!) So don't educated me about you good white folk. I don't good white people or good black people, I just see good people period. Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and Viola Liuzzo were good people who happened to be white who put their lives on the line and stood up for what's right. Are you of that ilk? The fact that you are condemning me instead of the Valley Swim Club gives me serious doubts. Brooklyn Moe, if you were at the swim club and you saw these minority children in the pool acting as all children do in a swimming pool, would you clutch the purse and scramble to get your children away from those dirty, violent pickaninnies? Then complain to the manager about those black and brown urchins in the pool and how they may harm your blue-eyed pride and joy? Or if you saw that the minority children were being herded out of the pool, would you stand up and say, "Why?" These kids weren't doing anything dangerous or disruptive? Why are they being thrown out? If you overheard the conversations of the other white patrons about those "black children" would you say something in defense of the black kids or just join the chorus? Look at the man and the mirror and answer the questions honestly. That way, I'll know if I owe you an apology or a rebuke.

I'm sorry, and a bit surprised, that my comments here have illicited so much anger. I don't believe I said anything offensive or in defense of this club. My understanding, or misunderstanding, of omar's post was that "educated white people" were racist, which is certainly not true in an all encopassing context. If his reference was simply toward those at the pool then I say "my bad". Karen - you don't deserve any response. Omar - i feel as bad for those kids as anyone. The only thing you got right about me is that I am white. My wife is Bajan. Her family, my in-laws, are bajan. My two year old child has much darker skin than I do and his eyes are not blue. I live in a west Indian neighborhood and my child and his playmates are those "dirty pickaninnies" you spoke of. I would not tolerate my son, nor anyone in my company, being treated as those children were and I hope that there are consequences for the pain these children must feel. And for what it's worth, I feel those same icy stare every day, from white folk and black folk alike.

White people are no more devils than black people. But I can see how someone can make that conclusion. Blacks are tempted, and used by the devil just as much as whites. But the impact of whites being used by the devil is felt so much more signifigantly because of the power structure of this world. They happen to be the ones in power, and in control of the money in most instances. And thats who the devil goes after. He would be after blacks just the same if we controled the worlds purse strings. So Brooklyn Moe dont worry your no devil. But just understand the evil that whites with great influence do causes a great deal of hurt to minorities, and poor people alike.

It looks as though I owe you an apology, Brooklyn Moe. But, please remember. Racial discrimination is an open wound and the more you pick at an open wound, the more sensitive it becomes. Any hint of it brings up the most painful memories and the most hostile feelings towards anyone perceived as one of its perpetuators. I know that its easy to take offense if anyone were to stupidly make a blanket statement that all educated white people were racist. But, it is a fact that many people don't realize the damage that the institution of racism can do to the psyche of a black and latino child unless they are black and latino. As a white person, you can go anywhere in this country, eat at any restaurant, and apply for any job that you qualify for and feel as if you have a right to eat at that restaurant, go to anyplace in this country or land that job. I feel that way too, but the reality is, as a black man, I have a greater chance at being turned away or given lousy service at some restaurant because I'm black, get a chilly and sometimes frightening reception if I go into a town that is not used to someone with a "permanent suntan" and have my resume thrown in the trash after interviewing for that job I qualify for unless it's to sweep up the place. These are facts. I'm sure your wife can tell you. Black skin elicits a most hostile behavior from racists. Don't get me wrong. I know those icy stares you receive from people make you just as nervous. You're guilty by association. I have been in many situations with my friends from Egypt, Iran, Japan and Brazil. I am the one that everybody focuses on. (Maybe it's my locs, I don't know!) My friend, who is from Egypt, has a beautiful house in a St. Louis suburb. He and I were walking down his neighborhood at around 10 PM and guess who came down the street! St. Louis Finest! If my friend hadn't been with me, I would have been face down on the pavement in cuffs. Since the officers knew my friend lived in the neighborhood, we got a nod from the cops and were sent our merry way. My friend shrugged it off, but I knew what was up. It's 2009, but sometimes I feel as if I'm in Mississippi in the 1960's. This situation in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, doesn't make me feel as if were moving forward at least as far as attitudes go. Charles, thanks for your eloquent point. Brooklyn Moe, I hope you and your wife and child never experience overt racism such as being thrown out of a pool. I wish that your child, my child and the blue eyed darling from Malibu can play in the same pool, without incident. But we all have to fight crap like what these kids in Philly had to go through to make it happen. Let's make it happen, my pigment-challenged brother!!

Why? Black kids are either being kicked out of swimming pool, or being exorcised by churches? Why?!

If the kids need a place to swim why hasn't anyone shown them so love and offered them a place of their own? What I see here is two groups of racists locked in battle fighting a losing game by not offering solutions and getting paid to hate. Fear is color blind. Those who witness fear see color as the probable cause and they are often wrong. Class could be the cause of this fear. The problem with the race debate is "Racism is taught." We aren't trying to find solution. We aren't teaching either side how to defeat racism.

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