Black Kids Are 2x More Likely To Drown. This Organization is Offering Free Swim Lessons. 

By Adam Mahoney, Capital B

Outdoor Afro, a national nonprofit, is helping families develop water skills and overcome historical barriers.

Across the country, Black children and youth are twice as likely as the general population to die by drowning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

And this crisis is compounded by the fact that their parents are 20% more likely to be non-swimmers, creating a cycle that perpetuates the problem across generations, according to researchers from the CDC and Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

As climate threats continue to intensify, so does the need for water safety knowledge to navigate emergency flood situations. In addition, there’s a growing need to learn ways to cool off during extreme heat. Outdoor Afro, a national Black environmental organization, is attempting to tackle both of these swimming disparities. 

The organization is providing up to $400 per family for beginner swim lessons through an app-based application process that connects Black children and caregivers with providers nationwide. 

Outdoor Afro’s Making Waves program, launched in 2019, partners with organizations like Foss Swim School, which has already taught hundreds of students across 29 locations. This year, they are committing to supporting 2,000 Black families in learning life-saving swimming skills for free. Applicants are also able to receive reimbursements if they’ve already signed up for lessons.

“Knowing how to swim is a key lever to saving lives, but really also unlocking the joy that a relationship with water can bring in an individual’s lives and that our planet needs,” said Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro.

Discover why Mapp was inspired to start the program.

Learn about Black history.

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