Outdoor Afro x Black People Will Swim enter ‘World’s Largest Swimming Lesson’
Jump in! Outdoor Afro’s annual Making Waves program will partner with Black People Will Swim (BPWS) for the second year in a row – this time making a cannonball splash Thursday, June 20. A summer day internationally known as The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson (WLSL). “This global lesson is a first-time experience for both our organizations and connects perfectly to Outdoor Afro’s sixth annual Making Waves program,” said Founder and CEO Rue Mapp. “Partnering with our swim provider, Black People Will Swim, makes the moment historic to support this life-saving skill.” Outdoor Afro will sponsor BPWS in offering free swim lessons to up to 200 Black kids and caregivers in a single day at York College Natatorium in Jamaica, Queens, New York. When registration opened Saturday, June 8, the day lesson already attracted 250 registrants. “Our sessions are always sold out,” said BPWS Founder Paulana Lamonier. “This free event is our way of saying we haven’t forgotten about you. Here’s your chance to practice water safety with us. Let’s make a splash by starting summer off on a safe note."
The two organizations are simultaneously providing free swim lessons with hundreds of swim schools across the globe. This epic pool experience will build on Outdoor Afro’s 2024 Making Waves goal to fund 1,500 new swimmers to learn water safety and basic swimming techniques by the end of the year. Open to all ages, the 30-minute pool sessions led by BPWS will rotate from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST. These lessons are another way to bring awareness to drownings in the United States, said Lamonier. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black youth ages 10 to 14 drown in swimming pools at a rate more than 8 times that of white peers. During 2019, Outdoor Afro launched Making Waves in response to the growing and alarming number. Meanwhile, WLSL developed through the World Waterpark Association and became a worldwide public relations event to help educate the public about water safety and prevent drownings.
Supported by aquatic centers, waterparks, swim schools, and community pools, the awareness day is also celebrating its 15-year anniversary this year like Outdoor Afro. Both organizations collaborate with swim operations nationwide to help families unlock the joy of developing positive relationships with water. WLSL aligns with the opportunity Outdoor Afro and BPWS are creating to reach newer generations of confident swimmers, explorers, and conservationists, said Mapp. “In addition to the urgency to save lives, we know that if a child does not know how to swim, they won’t ease into a tippy kayak, cast a pole in a lazy lake, or care about the crisis of plastics filling our oceans,” Mapp said. “Positive connections with water start with learning how to swim. And Outdoor Afro is proud to continue our efforts with Black People Will Swim as part of this year’s roster of partner providers.”
FAST SPLASH FACTS:
- In addition to BPWS, Outdoor Afro collaborates with the following U.S. swim providers to fund 2024 swim lessons: Evolutionary Aquatics in Charlotte, North Carolina; Foss Swim School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota; LEGITswim in Washington, D.C.; SwemKids in Atlanta, Georgia; and Oshun Swim School in Seattle, Washington; and Yu Ming Charter School in Oakland, California.
- BPWS is the only swim school in the five boroughs participating in WLSL that is sponsored by Outdoor Afro.
- WLSL will serve as an Open House for families wanting to meet the BPWS team and take a swim assessment before registering.
- After this event, BPWS aims to expand to the Long Island area to provide further instruction.
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide organization. Outdoor Afro’s U.S. networks include nearly 100-plus volunteer leaders who guide nature activities in up to 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people annually. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Connect with @outdoorafro on social and visit outdoorafro.org to follow our year-round nature narratives.
Outdoor Afro asks America to commemorate Juneteenth 2024 by visiting local waterways with family, friends
What’s that one place of peace for you in nature? Specifically those local waterways of joy and tranquility? During Outdoor Afro’s fourth annual Juneteenth 2024 commemoration, the national not-for-profit organization encourages U.S. communities to plan visits to those special shoreline lakes, swimming holes, and familiar streamlets to strengthen connections to neighborhood water sources. “This year’s Juneteenth commemoration will continue to reflect, educate, and reconnect about the significance of this day,” said Outdoor Afro Founder and CEO Rue Mapp. “Outdoor Afro will also elevate both conversations and actions about local waterways to reach a new generation of confident swimmers, explorers, and conservationists.” The organization is revisiting its theme “Freedom to Access Water” on June 19.
CONTRIBUTE TO BLACK JOY IN NATURE
Outdoor Afro’s only ask: Spend 2.5 hours at a water site that you enjoy individually or with family and friends. This number of hours represents the number of years that freedom delayed for 250,000 enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas. The news of freedom didn’t make it to the coastal city until June 19, 1865 – 2.5 years after the Emancipation Proclamation (signed Jan. 1, 1863) went into effect. “It’s important to remember that the federal holiday isn’t a celebration but a ‘commemoration’ to remember what it meant for Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, to realize their additional years of enslavement long after slavery had been officially abolished,” Mapp said. “Today, Juneteenth at Outdoor Afro is an invitation for everyone to reflect on the value of freedom for all.” The observance day also launches Outdoor Afro’s sixth annual Making Waves program, which teaches Black kids and caregivers within its sphere of influence how to swim.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black children drown at a rate more than 8 times that of their white peers. This statistic ties to the historic prohibition of Black entry onto public beaches and into public pools. Making Waves’ Swimmerships (swim lesson scholarships) offer a series of beginner swim sessions – typically four to eight classes – funded by Outdoor Afro and in collaboration with select U.S. swim providers. Officially launching immediately after Juneteenth, Making Waves’ goal is to fund up to 1,200 new swimmers nationwide until the end of the year. “In addition to the urgency to save lives, we know that if a child does not know how to swim, they won’t cast a pole in a lazy lake, ease into a tippy kayak, or care about the crisis of plastics filling our oceans,” said Mapp. “We are clear that a positive relationship with water starts with learning how to swim. Outdoor Afro is proud to continue to support this endeavor that both our people and planet gravely need.”
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide organization. Outdoor Afro’s U.S. networks include nearly 100-plus volunteer leaders who guide nature activities in up to 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people annually. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Connect with @outdoorafro on social and visit outdoorafro.org to follow our year-round nature narratives. Illustrations by Dajah Callen.