Prepare to be angry.
Montco swim club accused of racial discrimination
PHILADELPHIA, Pa (Philadelphia Inquirer) July 9 - Days before a Northeast Philadelphia day camp’s membership at a private suburban swim club was rescinded, several of the campers said they had heard racial remarks about themselves at the pool.
Parents and staff members of Creative Steps Inc. day camp are considering legal action against the Valley Club in Huntingdon Valley, said Alethea Wright, the camp’s executive director.
Sixty-five campers, kindergartners through seventh graders who are African American and Hispanic, arrived at the private swim club around 3:30 p.m. on June 29. It was their first visit to the club, but the camp had made arrangements for weekly trips on Mondays through Aug. 10.
While the campers were swimming, Wright said, three of them came up to her and said they had heard club members asking what African Americans were doing at the club.
Although the children were upset, Wright said, they stayed at the pool for an hour more to complete their session. She said that she approached club president John Duesler while events unfolded that day and that he seemed apologetic.
On July 3, Wright said, the camp’s $1,950 check in membership fees to the swim club was refunded, meaning the children no longer had access to the pool. She said Duesler gave no reason for the refund except that the membership no longer wanted the children at the pool.
Repeated attempts to reach Duesler, other club officers, and the club’s management yesterday were unsuccessful. NBC10, which first reported the story, said yesterday that Duesler had given the station the following statement: “There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion . . . and the atmosphere of the club.” [Outraged emphasis mine.]
Wright said she heard no racially charged comments when the campers were at the club but did hear a club member express displeasure that the children were at the pool. She said many parents made their children leave the pool after the campers arrived.
“There were no behavioral problems” with the campers, who were accompanied by eight Creative Steps staff members, Wright said. “They never gave a reason.”
Club member Bernadette Sinnott, 44, said that although she was not at the pool on June 29, she had heard the club took back the campers’ membership because of space issues, not race.
“I think they thought it was too crowded,” she said.
Sinnott was at the club yesterday with her son Brandon, 14, who said he was biracial and had never encountered racism at the pool.
The camp first contacted the club about membership after the New Frankford Community Y in the Frankford section of the city – where the children used to swim – closed last month because of lack of money. The club is about a 20-minute drive from the camp’s location at Devereaux and Summerdale Avenues in Northeast Philadelphia.
The campers swim at an indoor pool on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Jewish Community Center in Philadelphia, but Wright said the camp wanted to get them to an outdoor facility as well. She said Girard College had offered its pool to the campers for the rest of the summer.
City Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, who represents the camp’s Northeast Philadelphia district, said the allegations were upsetting but not surprising.
“It is outrageous and unfortunately part of what we still confront day in and day out because of folks’ lack of understanding,” she said. “Once you cross the county line, it’s a whole different world.”
Several parents and the camp are looking into possible legal action against the club, said Staci Morgan, a Creative Steps board member and Philadelphia social worker.
Their options depend on whether the state Human Relations Commission has jurisdiction over the club’s operations, said Michael Hardiman, a lawyer with the commission. Organizations that are “distinctly private” do not fall under that jurisdiction.
Hardiman would not say whether the Valley Swim Club met the commission’s criteria for investigation.
The club includes more than 10 acres of land and a 110,000-gallon pool, according to its Web site, and is a private nonprofit organization chartered in 1954. A single membership is $395 per year…
Yes, that says “Philadelphia, PA,” as opposed to the similarly-named city in, say, Mississippi…
There have been all kinds of claims since January that we now live in a “post-racial society,” that race “doesn’t matter any more,” now that we have a black president. A number of conservative columnists (whose opinions dominate the pages of The Inquirer these days) have been making that claim in their rush to condemn Sonia Sontamayor’s supposedly “racialist” views (whatever that non-word means).
Tell that to these kids.
(Oh, and way to BURY this story WAY deep inside the paper, there, Inquirer editors…)
UPDATE: More detailed and updated information from today’s (Friday) Inquirer here.
Photo: Phila. Inquirer
Filed under: General outrage, Human rights, News & commentary, Philadelphia, Race matters, Ranting & raving, Sick sad world, Social justice, Testimony of equality, Tolerance & diversity | Tagged: News & commentary, Philadelphia, Racism, Testimony of equality, Tolerance and diversity
Although I find this repulsive, isn’t it the right of private clubs to decide who to allow in their facilities? If the boy scouts can refuse homosexuals, can’t this club refuse anyone they want? I would boycott the club and take my business somewhere else. This stupid clubs alienate more than just people of color.
mR. qUAKER MADE A STATEMENT – but – HE NEVER THOUGHT OF A RESOLUTION. he IS A black MAN WITH AN aGRNDA -0EARN SOME $$$ FOR BEIN A nt A MAN WITH A CRITERIA!!!!!
Sue: I’m whiter than a lot of y’all who posted here.
Here’s my “resolution”: let’s all end racism, bigotry, and particularly white supremacy. Let’s walk the walk that Jesus wanted us to walk, and not just talk the talk. Let’s do unto others as we would have them do unto us. How’s that sound, hmmm?
I think you missed part of the story though, which is on CNN.
“two other day-care centers, neither of which included minority children, had previously been similarly disinvited.”
But all of a sudden black kids get kicked out, and this is going to turn in to a big deal.
Well thats how this works. Ignore the other parts of the article and just scream racism as soon as you see the title. Thats the point of the title, its supposed to set people off before they even open the page. If it was a neutral title such as “Swim club revokes summer camps privledges” then people wouldn’t get that initial visceral outrage.
My lord. in this day an age . racism . i remember the sixties . To think in 2009 the disease of it still lives, and to children. I hope they fine the club millions. Just my comment.
It is truly sad that this ignorance is still rampant in the country that has an African-American president, African American mayors, judges, coaches, golfers, teachers, doctors, lawyers and clergy.
Just remember, as you stand there in church, “claiming to love the Lord and your fellow man,” you may one day need one of these African Americans to plead your case, bandage your body, pray for you and your loved ones.
Racism is a very ugly thing indeed. It hurts my heart to know that someone can smile in your face and hate you in their heart. I know that it hurts God too, because He is love.
But, also remember, they will have to meet Him one day to answer for their hatetred.
DEAR ONE, MY QUESTION IS – WHERE are THOSE AFRICAN-aMERICAN PEOPLES, (pRESIDENT)cONGRESSMEN, SENATORS LEADERS IN THE wHITE hOUSE. wHAT’S WITH THE BLACK PREDUDICE PRBLEM. tHE BLACK SUCCESSFUL HIERARCHY, MILLIONAIRES SEEM TO BR THE ONLY NES WHO ARE nott not HELPING THEIR POOR BLACK CHILDREN BY GIVING THEM AN education, WITH cERTIFIED PASSING MARKS, LEARNING TO sPEAK PROPERLY, LEARN HOW TO SURVIVE IN THIS ECONOMIC CRISIS. hOW THE HELL CAN THESE UNEDUCATED CHILDREN EVER HOPE TO EVEN HAVE A LOW PAYING JOB??? wHERE IS YOUR LEADER, THE mR. bLACK nOBAMA WHO DOES not PURSUE education. iF YOU CAN’T talK, WRITE,SEAK YOU WILL NEVER GET A JOB> mR. nObAMA HELPS his CHILDREN – WHY DOESN’T HE HELP YOURS???? bLACK IS not THE ANSWER – eDUCATION, lEARNING, sURVIVAL SKILLS, ABILITIES are THE sURVIVAL KIT.
gET REAL – GET A REAL lIFE – TO GET A JOB – YOU HVWE TIO BE ABLE TO do SOMETHING!!!!!!
jay: Well, the Scouts shouldn’t be refusing anyone , especially if they are using public facilites for free or at a discount for their activities while they are discriminating, which is what got them into trouble. Apparently, many of the members were the ones who may have prompted the management to kick the kids out, so I doubt anyone will be boycotting the club. But they are being slammed in the local media.
Ben: Well, maybe they just don’t like kids. Although it sounds like there were plenty of well-off white kids as members.
And yeah, sorry to upset your apple cart, but racism IS still a “big deal” to some folks. Get over it.
ATTENTION: An owner of a black club denied white kids entry, stating that this was a black only club and they had a right to include whomever they wished, such as the NAACP was afforded. “Its only racist when it is against a non-white” the club owner was stated as saying, “black people” he went on “there is no such thing as a black hypocrite, we can be as racist as we want to, because of what people did to other peoople when we were NOT alive”.
George I agree with you 110%. I am sick and tired of the double standard. Read my string below, it is ridiculous and I am tired of the POOR OLD ME I AM A BLACK PERSON BS.
Um, George, not that I would ever doubt the veracity of your claim, but I must ask: got a link to an actual, fact-checked news story to support that claim?
And if the quote is accurate, I think it’s fair to agree that there are nincompoops in all groups.
LOL, well, those two typos are a dead give away I think but point is I want racism on white people, who NOW A DAYS ARE ABSOLUTLEY innocent and largley and in most cases absolutley NOT benfitters from slavery, segregation to be taken as seriously by black people and the media. If not, as time goes on, white racism will gain attractivness, not as much as it once was but will go in the wrong direction, as any race who is is not treated fairly by other races will natuarly respond in like. Time for the cycle of racism to stop. “Hillbilly, necks, cracker” ought to be words on par with any other racial slur (outside the N word given its history). Given the outrage many people and especially blacks do on this story, it is a good ime to remind them of their responsibility to other races.
If this had happened in the South, we would be hearing it as breaking news on all major media outlets. While I abhor what happened, I see this as a clear picture of universal attitudes and behaviors.
My point: Racism, sadly, is alive and well….and it’s not just in the South. When this myth is abolished, maybe we can make some gains in getting people…ALL racists…to see the error of their ways.
I’m from Huntingdon Valley (just the area not the swim club), and if their invitation was rescinded based on race than this is truly disgusting. I feel once an agreement is made it should be honored. These are just kids that need somewhere to swim and if you are accepting to let 60 kids use your pool for a couple hours you should know what you’re getting into. At the same time, I have a difficult time jumping on the management right away. The local stories, not the national ones, quote the creative steps leaders as feeling bad for the manager of the pool because it was a vote of the members that decided to rescind the invitation (something like that). I know racism exists, but I’m not fully convinced that was the motive behind this one. If it was, I’m just as outraged that this would happen so near to me.
the ATL news ran this story and included that one of the complaints from a club member was supposedly about how 50+ kids were supposed to be watched by one lifeguard
Ummmm… hire another lifeguard? Just a thought.
This doesn’t surprise coming from Philadelphia, PA isn’t this the same state that killed the hispanic young man, left two children orphan and a widow and the six guys only got like six months probation. This is absolutely pathetic. I’m glad it’s being considered as a hate crime.
i TOTALLY AGREE WITH THESE CHILDREN – however – WHERE ARE THE ‘jACKO’ FAMILY MEMBERS – WHERE ARE THE AL’ SHARPTON’S $$$ – WHERE ARE THE oh-NOBAMA $$$. wHY CAN’T THESE EXTREMNELY WEALTHY BLACK PEOPLE TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN???? why????? tHEY DON’T GIVE A S—-!!! AND tHAT’S wrong!!! The Big, Black Men don’t give a rat’s about their own race – SHOW US THEIR MONEY. HELP these young children. Damn it – these children should be helped – by their OWN race who ae the highest paid athletes and entrepreneurs of earth. BUT – they DO NT help their own!!!!! What is wrong with THIS picture????
Being in idiot is bad enough..but being a angry idiot??? Blame it on the victim…other people…black people…etc. But this daycare center paid for this service and at first the contract was agree upon by the parties and now one party decide because of “race” that they can now cancel the contract. Yeah, what is wrong with this picture…YOU and people who think like you.
Continue to make excuses for the members, the club management etc. If that makes you feel better. Meanwhile, another group of young people have to feel the sting of a society that can not get past their skin pigmentation. Shame.
Dam it – where are their own peoples – The blacks are now the wealthiest – with their sports contracts, their dog farms, etc. Where are they?????? Save the people – stand up – be black and HELP your black brothers. BUT they Do NOT!!!!!
sUE: With respect, what’s wrong with your KEYBOARD?
As for the rest of your comment, I’ll let it speak for itself.
The fact that such behavior is found in the world is surprising to me. Change the complexion of the club? How dare they say this?
It was an attempt at a cheap pun, maybe?
Well – I’m MAD and I’m” NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE”. rEMEMBER THIS FAMOUS STATEMENT FROM A FAMOUS MOVIE? wELL, get on it PEOPLE, HELP YOUR OWN INSTEAD OF – WHATEVER IT IS YOU’RE not DOING!!!! rEMEMBER HOLES, NOT all CHILDREN CAN BE FAMOUS, FABULOUS FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL STARS. sO help THEM!!!!!!!
yOU fAMOUS HAVE-IT-ALLS neglect YOUR owN RACE. sHAME, SHAME, SHAME.
LET’S GET BILL COSBY ON THIS – HE IS THE ONLY HONEST BLACK MAN I HAVE EVER HEARD SPEAK UP – SPEAK OUT’. A MAN WHO CARES!!!!!!!!
sUE: I’m just guessing now, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Mr. Cosby would probably NOT support the idea of a swimclub denying access to black children. Call it a hunch.
It is a private club, they have the right to do what they want. Where is the NAACP in AKRON OHIO, where 50 black kids beat up a family on their front porch on Fourth of July. Read below. Absolute BS, the political correctness nonsense. The police aren’t even sure if it is a hate crime????????? WTF
Akron police say they aren’t ready to call it a hate crime or a gang initiation.
But to Marty Marshall, his wife and two kids, it seems pretty clear.
It came after a family night of celebrating America and freedom with a fireworks show at Firestone Stadium. Marshall, his family and two friends were gathered outside a friend’s home in South Akron.
Out of nowhere, the six were attacked by dozens of teenage boys, who shouted ”This is our world” and ”This is a black world” as they confronted Marshall and his family.
The Marshalls, who are white, say the crowd of teens who attacked them and two friends June 27 on Girard Street numbered close to 50. The teens were all black.
”This was almost like being a terrorist act,” Marshall said. ”And we allow this to go on in our neighborhoods?”
They said it started when one teen, without any words or warning, blindsided and assaulted Marshall’s friend as he stood outside with the others.
When Marshall, 39, jumped in, he found himself being attacked by the growing group of teens.
His daughter, Rachel, 15, who weighs about 90 pounds, tried to come to his rescue. The teens pushed her to the ground.
His wife, Yvonne, pushed their son, Donald, 14, into bushes to keep him protected.
”My thing is,” Marshall said, ”I didn’t want this, but I was in fear for my wife, my kids and my friends. I felt I had to stay out there to protect them, because those guys were just jumping, swinging fists and everything.
”I’m lucky. They didn’t break my ribs or bruise my ribs. I thank God, they concentrated on my thick head because I do have one. They were trying to take my head off my spine, basically.”
After several minutes of punches and kicks, the attack ended and the group ran off. The Marshalls’ two adult male friends were not seriously hurt.
”I don’t think I thought at that moment when I tried to jump in,” Rachel Marshall said. ”But when I was laying on the ground, I was just scared.”
Marshall was the most seriously injured. He suffered a concussion and multiple bruises to his head and eye. He said he spent five nights in the critical care unit at Akron General Medical Center.
The construction worker said he now fears for his family’s safety, and the thousands of dollars in medical bills he faces without insurance.
”I knew I was going to get beat, but not as bad as I did,” Marshall said. ”But I did it to protect my family. I didn’t have a choice. There was no need for this. We should be all getting along. But to me, it seems to be racist.”
Akron police are investigating. Right now, the case is not being classified as a racial hate crime. There were no other reports of victims assaulted by the group that night.
The department’s gang unit is involved in the investigation, police said.
”We don’t know if it’s a known gang, or just a group of kids,” police Lt. Rick Edwards said.
The Marshalls say they fear retaliation at home or when they go outside. They are considering arming themselves, but they’re concerned about the possible problems that come with guns.
For now, they are hoping police can bring them suspects. They believe they can identify several of the attackers.
”This makes you think about your freedom,” Marshall said. ”In all reality, where is your freedom when you have this going on?”
This is *MUST* be made up because we all know that hate crimes only go one way.
It is very bad on the part of club.These things should not happen in great country like America.Investigation must be done on these allegations and if club is found guilty action must be taken against them.I am from India and I always believed that this is the only country which respects humans regard less their race in current time.
People are paying $1000s of dollars to have a nice country club and you’ve got 100 kids coming into the pool/club. I don’t care if they are black, white, green, blue, or red, that’s going to cause a stir. If this was 99 white kids and 1 black kid, someone would be calling them racist. You people are always coming up with a way to demonize people to make yourselves feel better about your prejudices.
“I don’t care if they are black, white, green, blue, or red, …”
Pardon me, but when I hear a phrase like that, I can always guess what’s coming. And it usually isn’t an expression of tolerance.
so you would rather me say “I really care if you are black, white, green, blue, or red” Your logic makes no sense. Go back to your high horse where you can tell everyone else how they aren’t tolerant while being intolerant of others opinion yourself.
AGAIN It is a PRIVATE CLUB. I applaud the ownership for doing what they have the right to do. Their reasons should not be open to stupid racist interpretations. Stop the cry baby poor black kids bla bla bla
wELL, MY HEART DOES BLEED A BIT FOR THESE CHILDREN – WITHOUT A POOL – THAT THEY ARE PAYING FOR. DOESN’T THEIR CITY, LIKE MOST THESE DAYS, EVEN HAVE OPEN PUBLIC pOOLS. I GREW UP IN THEM , CAN’T IMAGINE MY LIFE WITHOUT THOSE DIRTY OLD, THEN UPDATED, SWIM POOLS. aND MY PARENTS WERE GRATEFUL – WE LOVED TO SWIM – AND EVEN IF WE DIDN’T = WE WERE going TO THE POOL.!!!! oF COURSE WE wALKED UPHILL BOTH WAYS,TO AND FRO. FAMILY JOKE!!!!!
GOD BLESS THE CHILDREN. yOU SEE, IT’S NOT WHITEYS, IT’S BLACKS ALSO – IT’S THE DAMNED “DON’T GIVE A DAM” PARENTS (OR HALF PARENTED) FAMILIES – but tHEY ARE still THE childen. cOLOR DOESN’T DISTINGUISH GOOD PARENTING – but – SOME OF THE PEOPLE NEED A BIT MORE HELP THAN OTHERS. SO, WHAT’S still WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE??? THIS NON-PROGRAM – THIS DON’T STAND UP TO THE PLATE MENTALITY.
eACH CHILD ON EARTH COULD BE – THE ONE YOU ARE OR ARE NOT – THE REST IS WELL,WE ALL KNOW!!!! tHANK GOD, — FOR THE GRACE OF GOD!!!
i WAS A FORTUNATE ONE – NOT WITHOUT EXTREME
WHATEVERS – BUT – i WAS LUCKIER THAN SOME OF THESE POOR UNFORTUNATES. I WAS BLESSED. THEY SHOULD BE ALSO.
PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE – HELP YOUR PEOPLE STOP B,ING ABOUT INEQUALITY, WHEN YOU HAVE SO MUCH, SHARE, REMEMBER -
WE ARE THE PEPLE – SO, HELP YOURS, TOO INSTEAD OF DRUGGING IT AND GAMBLING IT, AND DOGFIGHTING IT AWAY. GET ON YOUR BROS, JOIN US IN OUR FIGHT FOR YOU AND THE CHILDREN!!!
sUE: The City of Philadelphia has closed most of its public pools due to budget cuts. That isn’t the point. Access to this pool was contracted for and paid for. The members and owners knew who these kids were when they signed a contract.
lets send the national guard there to execute the racist pool and club ownership. Get a life Quaker Dave. this is one of the most ridiculous stories i have seen on the news today and that is saying a lot considering U.S news content
3 other camps in the past were un-invited. But as soon as blacks are asked to leave, we try to stir it up in the news and say it’s racism.
Also, if 60 whites showed up at a pool in Harlem I’m sure they’d hear people being curious.
Let’s all calm down and not let CNN bait us into a online race war.
“But as soon as blacks are asked to leave, we try to stir it up in the news and say it’s racism. Also, if 60 whites showed up at a pool in Harlem I’m sure they’d hear people being curious. Let’s all calm down and not let CNN bait us into a online race war.
Who’s baiting whom there?
Um, the media is baiting US, because trumped up stories about racism get people interested. Make sense?
Guys, CNN actually reports “He said two other day-care centers, neither of which included minority children, had previously been similarly disinvited.” So can we put the race card to rest? Racism is a two way street. Can’t really blame someone else for it, then in turn use it as an excuse when things don’t go your way. Does that make me a racist? If it does, I blame the fact that I had an ancestor I never knew who suffered a potato famine back in the day. There, played the potato famine card 5 times today, wonder if I can get it up to 20 before the day is over.
I was waiting for “playing the race card” to show up. Thanks for not letting me down!
Always happy to oblige. Must be because I had ancestors who suffered a potato famine that makes me so predictable, it is absolutely no fault of my own that I may come across as a little prejudiced.
Saying i don’t care what color you are is NOT racist. that’s the point. Your high horse is not writing in your blog, but condemning my opinion as racist even though it is the exact opposite. You obviously DO care about color and feel that NO ONE in the world doesn’t care. I truly don’t – I live in Memphis, TN (one of the most racially charged cities in the country) but could care less about the color of an individual vs how they act. As kids, if they act disruptive (which is just normal for kids), I don’t care if it is white disruptive, black disruptive, green disruptive – IT’S STILL DISRUPTIVE. I pay $700 monthly fees to go to a country club and I don’t want ANY disruptive kids coming there.
I think you don’t take our dissenting viewpoints seriously because we are Scottish… what say you!?
Hoot man! Our clan hailed from up around Aberdeen.
I think 1950.00 is a great down payment for their own pool. Maybe all of the people so upset could pitch in a few coins and have one built for this center.
GREAT idea! “Let ‘em get their own pool.” And their own restrooms and their own schools…
Hey not unless we, descendants of the great potato famine, can’t use the same pool as well. I mean I’d totally expect a black person to welcome me with open arms into their house, otherwise I’d think they hate potatoes.
People back east (at least in Phily) are weird. Private clubs discriminate against Jews and everyone else. So the Jews (the wealthy ones) have their own clubs. It’s a pretty sick place. Also, women are discriminated against because everyone follows the old traditions of the man being the only family member who uses the club for golf, etc. God forbid if you’re unfortunate enough to be black and poor in that environment.
Well, those private clubs and jews do need people to clean their pools and golf courses don’t they? This comment was a sudden outburst caused totally by my relation to an unknown ancestor who once suffered a potato famine. Can’t hold me responsible for my own actions or comments.
I really wonder sometimes if we are truly committed to diversity and multiculturalism. It seems to me as though we’d like diversity on our own terms, which really isn’t diversity at all.
Doesn’t matter if it’s swimming pools, white flight, or private schools we’re talking about.
It’s the Media’s Fault. THAT makes sense.
Re: the Ohio story. I don’t troll conservative web sites, but there is obviously a campaign to use this story to refute the Philly story. Our local (St Louis Post-Dispatch) paper has an online blog with a topic on this pool story, and immediately someone posted a link to the Ohio story as evidence that the media is biased and that reverse discrimination happens both ways. Both claims, to be clear, are bogus.
I can’t believe this actually happened. It’s unbelievable that people can be so judgmental to a group of people that they don’t even know. How embarassing.
No, I’d just like you to be honest. You DO care what color these kids are, other wise you wouldn’t say what you said. So perhaps some honesty is in order.
And my “high horse” has nothing to do with anything: dude, it’s my BLOG. I get to say what I want here (freedom of speech and all that). I get to say that racist views are intolerant and wrong.
My blog, my rules. Don’t like it? Get your own. They’re free.
Yeah, racism directed against little kids. No news there.