Why can't black people swim?

Question

I know the question is an attention getter, but I am really curious about this. I've been to a lot of pool parties this summer and nearly none of the black guys there knows how to swim. Why is this? Is it because swimming or going to water parks is not what their culture usually does for fun? Please don't take me as a racist, I'm just looking for a logical, non-discriminatory answer.

ok ok... MOST of them, not all.

Answer 1

Muscular structure?

Most blacks can't swim because when they go to places with pools none of the other blacks swim. Their parents can't swim, friends can't swim, etc.

Black women don't swim because of their hair. It takes a lot of work and getting their hair wet is out of the question. Have you ever seen a black woman without an umbrella in a rain storm? Nope.

I have dreads, I can't get my hair wet except about twice a month. Otherwise, we will have to pay another $50 to get it done again.

I appreciate the question. IT means you are really trying to understand us.

Answer 2

I'm black and I can swim, and I love swimming. I just went to the beach with my friends not too long ago and I wasn't the only black person swimming. I do think it is true that the majority of us don't swim either because they never learned or they just don't like to get their hair wet. Although this is true I just think people should just look at individuals, because there are people in every race that can't swim. I have a pool where I live as well. I like that this question is finally being answered though.

Answer 3

Well according to BBC Canada, it is a cultural thing. When swimming pools made their debut it was in the time of segregation, so parents an grandparents never learned to swim. The other theory is body structure. That does not make sense for a certain race of people. I am a white 38 year old male. When I was 20 I was able to float on my back for hours...

I can swim better and menuver under water better than ever now as I gained more experience in swimming as the years gone by, but since I became a truck driver and gained weight, I can't float on my back like I used to. Yes I have some buoyancy, but my nose and face Bob underwater now. So the body density has nothing to do with race or color, cause I knew how to float on my back long ago, and that same technique does not work for me now, even though I am a better swimmer than my younger days...

So just because you can't float, doesn't mean you can't swim or learn to swim. Cause I can swim fairly well with little buoyancy.

Answer 4

I'm a great swimmer.

but who cares about that right...lets get to the answer.

I wouldn't know why the group of black people you associate with can't (or maybe just won't swim).
maybe the culture they surround themselves with has no need for swimming...just like my culture which has the requirement to swim...it doesn't mean that they can't.

I think that if any race was on a sinking boat, they'd learn pretty fast on how to swim.

Answer 5

Black people were not allowed to swim back in the day so no one ever learned to swim but now that swimming is big now black women don't swim because it takes a long time to do their hair and they don't want to mess it up but if u swim too much your hair will turn green because of the chlorine but black men normally never swam really

Answer 6

I find this very interesting, that the party asking, would not have taken a detailed census of African Americans swimming tendencies and or capabilities to gain a more concise knowledge of why; before throwing out such a lazy question. Have you ever thought about the possibility that most Caucasian swimmers also tan, and probably enjoy cooling off in the water after such extreme radiation from the sun. You know the object is to get burned to a darker color so they don't look so pale. Since most African Americans generally don't have the need to tan, I figure that they don't enjoy laying out in the hot sun for no particular reason?

Answer 7

I'm black (African) 70% of us believe that the ocean is a habitat for aquatic creatures and respect that. Most of us find stuffs like swimming, skateboarding, hiking etc..irrelevant and prefer to engage ourselves into activities which doesn't require unnecessary risk to ones life. We see swimming just as an activity which could save ones life and nothing more, whereby whites love the beach life, seas and oceans by nature and regard swimming as a sport. Most blacks don't and certainly wouldn't want to be on the menu of one hungry shark or croc. Let's just say curiosity is what differentiates the two races.

Answer 8

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Why can't black people swim?
I know the question is an attention getter, but I am really curious about this. I've been to a lot of pool parties this summer and nearly none of the black guys there knows how to swim. Why is this? Is it because swimming or going to water parks is not what their culture usually does for fun?...

Answer 9

Okay, hold up! Please do not listen to the "best answer" up there^. It is not correct. The reason why at first black people can't swim is because of out genes. Black people tend to have denser bones thann other races, so when we get in the water, we tend to have to do more work than most races.
Most black people, if we are going to a pool party, we will braid our hair up or just jump in. Our kids love swimming and it is a really fun activity to do. Most black kids have to take swimming lessons, because swimming doesn't really come naturally to us, and we are at more of a disadvantage. Caucasian people have a lighter bone density which is why they tend to be really good at swimming.

Answer 10

Never heard so much BS in all my life. What your about to see are names that are not made up. These are Olympic swimming gold medalist.
Maritza Correia. Alia Atkinson. Anthony Ervin. Moussambani. Reece Whitley. Anthony Nesty to name but a few. Imagine how many children have been inspired to follow their example. Do some research on that! I have met white people who can't swim. I have met Chinese people who can't do math. People of all races are still individuals despite the cultures we all come from. Free your narrow mind and think outside the box. Look these people up and dispel the ignorance.