Whites Only Pool In Philadelphia
Just got this from Keystone Progress in my email:
Jay:
Two weeks ago outside Philadelphia, sixty-five children from a summer camp tried to go swimming at a club their camp had a contract to use. Evidently, the club didn't know the kids were largely Black.
Kids booted from pool for being black
When the campers entered the pool, White parents took their kids out of the water, and the swimming club's staff asked the campers to leave. The next day, the club told the summer camp that their membership would be canceled and that they would refund their money. When asked why, the club's leader said the "kids would change the complexion ... and the atmosphere of the club."1
A "Whites only" pool in 2009 should not be tolerated. The club's actions appear to be a violation of section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act.2 Whether or not any laws were violated, a "Whites only" pool should be something every American condemns.
We're working with our friends at ColorofChange.org3 to do exactly that-condemn the club's discrimination. Your signature will also be used to call on the Department of Justice to evaluate suing the facility under federal law. It takes just a moment:
http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/s/pawhitesonly
After you've taken this simple step, please email your friends and family and invite them to do the same.
Obama is President but that doesn't mean that suddenly all is fine when it comes to race in America. This is a vivid reminder of what we know still lies beneath the surface.
We all know stories like this one -- similar incidents play out quietly every day in different communities across the country. The difference in this case is that folks got caught and there was a contract in place that makes for a potentially illegal act.
Standing up now isn't just about making things right for these kids in Philadelphia or bringing consequences to this swim club (called the Valley Swim Club). It's about creating a climate of accountability everywhere. If we can publicly shame the Valley Swim Club and hold them accountable for this incident, it will make others think twice before engaging in this kind of discrimination.
Please join us in condemning the Valley Swim Club's blatant discrimination and calling on the Justice Department to investigate whether they violated civil rights laws. And please ask your friends and family to do the same.
http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/s/pawhitesonly
In Solidarity,
The Keystone Progress Team
www.keystoneprogress.org
References:
1. "'Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion,'" NBC Philadelphia, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/90Zyr
2. "Section 1981 Summary," Employment Law Information Network
http://www.elinfonet.com/1981sum.php
3. http://www.colorofchange.org
More Resources:
"60 Black Kids Booted from Philly Pool For Being Black -- Speak Out," Jill Tubman at Jack and Jill Politics, 07-08-09 http://bit.ly/GkJTs
VIDEO: "Please Don't Change the Complexion of our Pool," This Week in Blackness, 07-08-09
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saTCMJVYljU
"Swim Club Accused of Discrimination," FOX 29 Philadelphia, 07-08-09 http://bit.ly/7EKGy
"Valley Swim Club: Day Two," Adam B at Daily Kos, 07-08-09 http://bit.ly/qbpSA
Jay:
Two weeks ago outside Philadelphia, sixty-five children from a summer camp tried to go swimming at a club their camp had a contract to use. Evidently, the club didn't know the kids were largely Black.
Kids booted from pool for being black
When the campers entered the pool, White parents took their kids out of the water, and the swimming club's staff asked the campers to leave. The next day, the club told the summer camp that their membership would be canceled and that they would refund their money. When asked why, the club's leader said the "kids would change the complexion ... and the atmosphere of the club."1
A "Whites only" pool in 2009 should not be tolerated. The club's actions appear to be a violation of section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act.2 Whether or not any laws were violated, a "Whites only" pool should be something every American condemns.
We're working with our friends at ColorofChange.org3 to do exactly that-condemn the club's discrimination. Your signature will also be used to call on the Department of Justice to evaluate suing the facility under federal law. It takes just a moment:
http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/s/pawhitesonly
After you've taken this simple step, please email your friends and family and invite them to do the same.
Obama is President but that doesn't mean that suddenly all is fine when it comes to race in America. This is a vivid reminder of what we know still lies beneath the surface.
We all know stories like this one -- similar incidents play out quietly every day in different communities across the country. The difference in this case is that folks got caught and there was a contract in place that makes for a potentially illegal act.
Standing up now isn't just about making things right for these kids in Philadelphia or bringing consequences to this swim club (called the Valley Swim Club). It's about creating a climate of accountability everywhere. If we can publicly shame the Valley Swim Club and hold them accountable for this incident, it will make others think twice before engaging in this kind of discrimination.
Please join us in condemning the Valley Swim Club's blatant discrimination and calling on the Justice Department to investigate whether they violated civil rights laws. And please ask your friends and family to do the same.
http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/s/pawhitesonly
In Solidarity,
The Keystone Progress Team
www.keystoneprogress.org
References:
1. "'Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion,'" NBC Philadelphia, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/90Zyr
2. "Section 1981 Summary," Employment Law Information Network
http://www.elinfonet.com/1981sum.php
3. http://www.colorofchange.org
More Resources:
"60 Black Kids Booted from Philly Pool For Being Black -- Speak Out," Jill Tubman at Jack and Jill Politics, 07-08-09 http://bit.ly/GkJTs
VIDEO: "Please Don't Change the Complexion of our Pool," This Week in Blackness, 07-08-09
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saTCMJVYljU
"Swim Club Accused of Discrimination," FOX 29 Philadelphia, 07-08-09 http://bit.ly/7EKGy
"Valley Swim Club: Day Two," Adam B at Daily Kos, 07-08-09 http://bit.ly/qbpSA
Views: 5
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by lowkey on -
That is an valid point. Contract violation would be a issue even in a minarchist / anarchist community to be resolved by a Dispute Resolution Organization (DRO).
Which should be fairly simple to resolve and could involve the club paying back the money + some fine or maybe the club should pay the bill for the pool services being provided elsewhere.
Unfortunately the lag in our court systems will mean that any solution they provide will be long after the kids have grown past the services of this particular camp and the members of the club that created this environment will have moved on to other lower profile venues. Effectively it will be closing the barn doors long after the horses are gone.
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Permalink Reply by James Shafer on -
the Civil rights movment lead congress to conclude that discrimination to color, creed or race is in violation of the constitution. Your constitutional right to freedom does not allow you to deny another person thier constitutional right to freedom or thier civil rights!!!
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Permalink Reply by lowkey on
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What you both preach is an apathetic tactic. Apathy begets apathy.
Freedom of association is regressive, and leads to predjudice within groups. It causes these groups to become xenophobic. We as a country are xenophobic enough without endorsing it more and more.
If things like this continue to happen, whats next? We're back in 1942, where only have the people in the country have rights.
I'm not preaching apathy. I'm preaching personal action. I'm preaching for solutions that don't involve the gun of the state.
Apathy grows fastest when the government is seen as the solution to all problems because then the individual has no reason to get involved and why should they? It's the governments job.
The government cannot be the solution to all of lives problems.
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Permalink Reply by David Felton on -
Whole-heartedly agreed.
And for reference; I recognize that they had a contract, THAT I believe is worthy of prosecution.
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Permalink Reply by Alex Griffith on -
You all have raised an interesting point in that Racism is bad but to fix it could be worse, ive never really looked at it like that, but people are intitled to there opinon and denying one's opinion is wrong simpely because opinions are not fact so changing one, wouldn't benefit anybody.
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Permalink Reply by lowkey on
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Followup:
From MSNBC:
PHILADELPHIA - A state panel has found probable cause of racial discrimination at a suburban Philadelphia swim club that asked a day camp group of mostly black and Hispanic children not to return, a ruling the club's lawyer blamed late Tuesday on the "media firestorm" that followed the incident.
...
The messages quoted in the report include one from club board member George Whitehill to the rest of the board that said in part, "Race is an issue since every email of complaint mentioned race."
...
The state report also noted that other large groups that came to the swim club did not generate the same reaction. For example, a plumbing company has held an annual party at the club that draws about 100 to 125 people each year, about five to 10 of them black, the report said. It found that far more children were in the pool for those parties, yet no club members threatened to quit and guests did not report "inappropriate or rude comments" from club members.
OK, so almost two and a half months after the event, a state panel has a finding of "probable cause" so this is only the first step and it makes me wonder, exactly how long will it take the state to resolve this issue?
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Permalink Reply by Jay "Brick" B. on -
Welcome to Pennsylvania Politics. Slow and cumbersome.
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Permalink Reply by lowkey on
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All politics really. The system has become too big to respond timely to anything and when the system does try to rush the result is often very different from what was proposed.
I just hope alternative arrangements were made for the kids. Otherwise they just lost out on a summer they won't get back.
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Permalink Reply by Jay "Brick" B. on
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There were I remember hearing about it. That and an actor in Hollywood paid for them to come out, and spent the day with them showing them around the sets and what the "life" (And I use that term to describe the G Rated life that he showed them) of an actor is like.
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