Berlin suspends swim session reserved for Black children
In the US, a Black child is three times more likely to drown. Berlin cancelled a Black-only swim session and sparked a controversy.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The paradox of the inclusive swim session that ended up cancelled
In the United States, a Black child is three times more likely to drown than a white one. In the UK, the gap reaches 3.5 times for children from ethnic minorities. The pool that peine this summer in Berlin was meant to tackle that imbalance with an afternoon reserved for Black children. It was cancelled before it could take place.
The Volksbühne theatre, which spearheaded the initiative, presented it as a way of breaking down barriers to swimming. Within days, the proposal became the target of an outrage campaign with threatening emails and hate-filled comments. The organisation decided to withdraw it.
Critics went beyond mere rejection: they called the event condescending racism and a reproduction of the very segregation it claimed to fight. Supporters respond with statistics. According to the survey cited, 95% of Black adults and 80% of Black children in the UK cannot swim.
History does not play in anyone's favour. For decades, swimming pools were scenes of racial exclusion, with deadly consequences. For a public space to revive that logic, even for a single day and with compensatory aims, breeds discomfort.
Is inequality fought with targeted measures, or perpetuated by them? When water does not distinguish skin colour but drowning statistics do, the answer is no longer obvious.
In the United States, a Black child is three times more likely to drown than a white one. In the UK, the gap reaches 3.5 times for children from ethnic minorities. The pool that peine this summer in Berlin was meant to tackle that imbalance with an afternoon reserved for Black children. It was cancelled before it could take place.
The Volksbühne theatre, which spearheaded the initiative, presented it as a way of breaking down barriers to swimming. Within days, the proposal became the target of an outrage campaign with threatening emails and hate-filled comments. The organisation decided to withdraw it.
Critics went beyond mere rejection: they called the event condescending racism and a reproduction of the very segregation it claimed to fight. Supporters respond with statistics. According to the survey cited, 95% of Black adults and 80% of Black children in the UK cannot swim.
History does not play in anyone's favour. For decades, swimming pools were scenes of racial exclusion, with deadly consequences. For a public space to revive that logic, even for a single day and with compensatory aims, breeds discomfort.
Is inequality fought with targeted measures, or perpetuated by them? When water does not distinguish skin colour but drowning statistics do, the answer is no longer obvious.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (16 replies).
More summaries
-
Classical Music in Stores: Deterrent or Hidden Segregation?
US chains use Mozart to deter customers. London Underground cut incidents by 33% since 2003. Is this environmental design or bias?
-
Morocco Signs 'Historic Deal' with US and Israel, Exchanging Embassies in Jerusalem to Celebrate Abraham Accords
Morocco and Israel agree to exchange ambassadors and restore direct flights, consolidating the Abraham Accords. The move seeks to boost economic and security cooperation.
-
€57,542 in 8 months: The other side of the American Dream
A Spanish trucker claims to have earned €57,542 in eight months in the U.S. The figure masks a lifestyle that divides: success or hardship?
-
Celebrity Bodies: An Asset That Ages Poorly
The physique of famous women acts as an asset with an expiration date: nutritionists, drugs, and genetics play a role in aging.
-
Should Spain admit mass entry of citizens from a hostile country?
A million immigrants from a country with territorial claims against Spain ignite the debate between economic necessity and the risk of destabilisation. Integration or…
-
Former Spanish PM Zapatero received undeclared €49,758 from Hong Kong firm
Ex-Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero received €49,758 from a Hong Kong company. The irony: he reinstated Spain's wealth tax while failing to declare it himself.