“Black Folk Don’t” is a web documentary series exploring racial stereotypes. This five minute clip dismantles the idea that “Black folk don’t swim”. Rather than simply showing that this isn’t true for most African-Americans, which is correct, it goes beyond the stereotype. It raises the historical reasons why swimming was largely foreign for certain groups of African-Americans. Up until recent decades, sub-groups of African-Americans grew up in areas where they had no access to public pools. There is a dimension of class to this argument, which I would love to see fleshed out. Worth watching.
Link via Colorlines.
The Other Sociologist 