Life Skills
Swimming
- Free Swimming Lessons in Kitchener
We are excited to launch our free swimming program this summer. This program is intended for Black kids between the ages of 5 and 14 years and Black women living in the Kitchener-Waterloo region who want to learn to swim, learn new skills, or conquer their aquaphobia. Spots are limited and first classes start as early as July 4th.
Sign up below!
Swimming is an important life skill to have. Unfortunately, lack of swimming amongst Black Canadians stems from a lengthy history of racism, slavery and colonization.
- History
Historically, Black people were excellent swimmers all the way up to the Civil War. However the skillset was seen as a threat to slave masters so Blacks were no longer allowed to swim. Even though Canada did not have a constant segregating system like in the USA, Black folks were not welcome at pools and would be immediately turned down.
Drowning during hot summers has increased over the years and despite our multiple efforts to shine the light on the lack of accessibility to swimming classes (costs, pools, fear), decision-makers don’t see value in investing in making swimming an essential part of Ontario’s curriculum. Afropolitan Canada is investing in providing swimming lessons to Black people to help them have the basic skills in the event of an unexpected fall into deep water.
Join us to make an incredible impact
For general inquiries, email us at afropolitancanada@gmail.com
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