Thread: Why were these kids kicked out of the pool?

More than 60 campers from Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from a private swim club and left to wonder if their race was the reason.

"I heard this lady, she was like, 'Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?' She's like, 'I'm scared they might do something to my child,'" said camper Dymire Baylor.

The Creative Steps Day Camp paid more than $1900 to The Valley Swim Club. The Valley Swim Club is a private club that advertises open membership. But the campers' first visit to the pool suggested otherwise.

The explanation:

"There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club," John Duesler, President of The Valley Swim Club said in a statement.

Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion" | NBC Philadelphia

I'm not sure what to make of this one. It seems pretty cut and dried, but why would he say something like that? Is it just blatant racism?

A follow up story says Arlen Specter is going to "investigate".

Video:

Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion" | NBC Philadelphia

Quite a troubling incident defined by this quote from your OP:

"The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately."

In my mind that is blatant racism. I realize that the swim club is pivate but they accepted money in an agreement to allow these black kids to swim in their pool, therefore they had an obligation to let them do so.

Originally Posted by Bourne

Quite a troubling incident defined by this quote from your OP:



In my mind that is blatant racism. I realize that the swim club is pivate but they accepted money in an agreement to allow these black kids to swim in their pool, therefore they had an obligation to let them do so.

It's hard for me to believe in this day and age that people would be that stupid.

Originally Posted by Blueneck

The explanation:



Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion" | NBC Philadelphia

I'm not sure what to make of this one. It seems pretty cut and dried, but why would he say something like that? Is it just blatant racism?

A follow up story says Arlen Specter is going to "investigate".

Video:

Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion" | NBC Philadelphia

well unfortunately this story is very one sided. i don't want to say none of what is claimed, wasn't said, but it does seem somewhat unusual. the whole story is just lacking in details, and i would think important ones.

such as, were there parents and camp personal with the kids at the pool? if so, did any of them speak with pool management? is so, what exactly was said? theres no evidence of any real conversation taking place, just "the pool person said this" or "the pool person said that", which seems odd.

and it should be noted, 60 kids MAY be a lot of kids to suddenly add to a private swim clubs pool. how big was this pool? how many kids do they normally have at any one time?

and lastly, while it is a poor choice of words, there is nothing inherently racist about the word "complexion", the guy used it correctly. if a pool is mostly adults, and you suddenly add a bunch of kids, that changes the make up, or complexion, of the people in the pool, from older to younger.

and he didn't say "THESE kids", he said "a lot of kids", which seems to jive with my explanation. it was the number and the age, not the color of the kids skin.

Originally Posted by Blueneck

It's hard for me to believe in this day and age that people would be that stupid.

yea, the comments claimed by the campers seems suspect to me too.

now i could see a parent say something like that if a homeless man wondered into a place with kids.

but why would a parent be worried about young kids, black or otherwise, "doing something" to their young child?

Originally Posted by Blueneck

It's hard for me to believe in this day and age that people would be that stupid.

Maybe it's part of the "Bigot Dividend" the racists got as a consolation for electing Obama.

Originally Posted by Blueneck

More than 60 campers from Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from a private swim club and left to wonder if their race was the reason.

"I heard this lady, she was like, 'Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?' She's like, 'I'm scared they might do something to my child,'" said camper Dymire Baylor.

The Creative Steps Day Camp paid more than $1900 to The Valley Swim Club. The Valley Swim Club is a private club that advertises open membership. But the campers' first visit to the pool suggested otherwise.

What's the problem here exactly? This is private property, they can choose to admit whomever they want. WTF is Arlen Specter going to "investigate"?

Originally Posted by Defensor

What's the problem here exactly? This is private property, they can choose to admit whomever they want. WTF is Arlen Specter going to "investigate"?

It is a private club, that is why the camp paid the private club to allow them to come there to swim.

The Creative Steps Day Camp paid more than $1900 to The Valley Swim Club. The Valley Swim Club is a private club that advertises open membership. But the campers' first visit to the pool suggested otherwise.

The fact that the day camp paid $1900. then was turned away suggests a breach of contract action may be appropriate.

The only reason that the black children were turned away was because of their color. I'd wager that white campers wouldn't have met with the same attitude.

Pure and simple racism. And you wonder what those poor black kids thought about being ejected because they are black.

NBC is reporting this. So consider the source.