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

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