Day Camp Kids Told Minorities Not Allowed in Phila., PA Pool

by Karen Hatter | July 9, 2009 at 09:15 am

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After paying the $1900.00 membership fee required by the Valley Swim Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a private club that advertised 'open membership', the children of the Creative Steps Day Camp, mostly minority children, arrived at the club and got in the pool.

Pool attendants for the club approached the children in the pool, informing the children that minorities were not allowed in the pool, instructing them to leave immediately.

The Valley Swim Club suspended the day camp's membership fee and refunded their money, with Valley Swim Club president John Duesler issuing a statement expressing concerns for changing the "complexion" and "atmosphere" of the club.

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Amy Judd

at 09:41 on July 9th, 2009

This is really sick and shocking.

vicki newman (not verified)

at 11:37 on July 20th, 2009

Tyler Perry is sending all of these children to Disney World.

"I want them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at you, there are millions more who will do something kind for them. This is all about the kids. "

Jarrett Martineau

at 09:50 on July 9th, 2009

Shocking and disgusting. Thanks for sharing this story.

CATHEY (not verified)

at 17:43 on July 10th, 2009

PLEASE PARENTS DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS AROUND THOSE SNOOTY WHITE FOLKS THERE ARE PLENTY OF WHITE KIDS OUT THERE WHO WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A FRIEND OF ANY NATIONALITY AND PARENTS WHO JUST WANT FOR THEIR KIDS TO HAVE GOOD FRIENDS AND EVEN LEARN ABOUT OTHER CULTURES. . SO DONT TAKE THIS INCIDENT PERSONALLY THAT ALL WHITE FOLKS ARE AS PHONEY AND SNOOTY THEY ARE THE FRAIL ONES THAT CAN ONLY HANDLE WHITE FRIENDS THEY WANT TO LIVE IN A GLASS BUBBLE LET THEM. PARENTS SPEND YOUR MONEY WHERE IT COUNTS DO NT MAKE THE RICH RICHER. SEND YOUR KIDS TO SWIM AT A NICE POOL WHERE THEY ARE WANTED. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY ON THESE PEOPLE. MY BLACK DAUGHTERS BOTH HAVE THEIR MASTERS DEGREES HEED MY ADVISE.

Shawn12345 (not verified)

at 07:46 on July 12th, 2009

Some of the racial prejudices will never be solved, until the older generations die out. That's why it's especially important to get these children associated with each other at an early age. Let them find out early what they have in common by playing together, rather than waiting until they're older and their differences are what shape their relationships. That goes for all groups of children, not just different races, but children of every different background. When they're allowed to become friends at an early age, they're less likely to segregate themselves due to economic, social, athletic, education, etc status.

albertacowpoke

at 09:57 on July 9th, 2009

I can't believe this is happening in America today. I sure hope we're better than that in Canada.

Tina Kells

at 13:29 on July 9th, 2009

Me too, although you heard about that racist attack in BC that ended up on YouTube?

Apparent B.C. hate crime attack posted on YouTube

Jay Phillips was attacked Friday in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant by three young men. A video of the incident posted on YouTube shows Phillips, 38, fighting back as he's surrounded by the trio. It's not known who shot the video or posted it on the website.

Phillips, who is black, said the attack was unprovoked.

He said a truckload of men drove by and started shouting racial epithets. "We're going to kill you, we're going to lynch you — really vile stuff."

caj1

at 10:18 on July 9th, 2009

Access to pools in the Phila. area is often only by this "private club" membership method. I can't believe the Valley Swim Club rescinded the membership of the Day Camp.

anarkissed

at 10:20 on July 9th, 2009

That's just rude and should be criminal. If they're so uptight about their precious complexion (and they shouldn't have a right to be) they should make sure they've done their research before booking a club. Once the club has been booked, they should graciously let the children have their fun,then discreetly make arrangements later to renege on the contract. To do that in those kids' faces should be criminal. It's terrible. I feel very angry to read this happening, still in the 21st century. Cruelty like this should be punished.

Jordan Yerman

at 10:43 on July 9th, 2009

This really pisses me off. Is the pool staff all on the same page as to what decade we're in?

Laughing-Samurai (not verified)

at 11:07 on July 9th, 2009

what decade? I think you mean what century! An unbelievable story..

DLDog

at 11:07 on July 9th, 2009

Why did the manager of the swim club accept payment from the day camp? Didn't that a$$hat know anything about what the day camp was about? It's bad enough to discriminate to the adults running the day camp. Then the POS manager just has to throw it in those kids' faces? If this is a private pool, there may not be anything legal to be done about it.

The term "open membership" is brought into question however.

Laughing-Samurai (not verified)

at 11:20 on July 9th, 2009

so I can assume from this story that the "President of the United States of America" would never be allowed a dip at this private swim club? Makes me wonder just how many of these kind of places still exist? Is it 2009 or 1809?

Tina Kells

at 13:24 on July 9th, 2009

I agree, this makes me sick!!! I wonder if they would turn away a day camp attended by Malia and Sasha???

I hate this and wish it were not still happening. How the current members at that club stand to remain is beyond me!

Laughing-Samurai (not verified)

at 11:25 on July 9th, 2009

Karen, something of an update.

So the staff at Girard College, a private Philadelphia boarding school for children who live in low-income and single parent homes, stepped in and offered their pool.

"We had to help," said Girard College director of Admissions Tamara Leclair. "Every child deserves an incredible summer camp experience."

The school already serves 500 campers of its own, but felt they could squeeze in 65 more – especially since the pool is vacant on the day the Creative Steps had originally planned to swim at Valley Swim Club.

"I'm so excited," camp director Alethea Wright exclaimed. There are still a few logistical nuisances -- like insurance -- the organizations have to work out, but it seems the campers will not stay dry for long.

And to sweeten the deal, the owners of Gumdrops & Sprinkles treated the kids to a free day of candy and ice cream making.

Karen Hatter

at 17:06 on July 9th, 2009

Thanks, Z! How have you been?

Jennings David L

at 11:36 on July 9th, 2009

Unbelievable! I'm sure we have not heard the last of this story. It is very sad that some people just don't get it and that they hurt others because of their ignorance.

Barbara McPherson

at 12:47 on July 9th, 2009

Isn't it ironic that many pink people pay good money to get that golden tan that these kids have naturally! That last comment by non-verified doesn't take into account people who live in neighbourhoods of mixed ethnic and racial backgrounds. My grandson, who looks like the kid in the film doesn't refer to himself as 'black'. He refers to himself and people of colour as 'brown people' which is much more accurate.

Rory Cripps

at 13:42 on July 9th, 2009

I'm not questioning the veracity of this story, however in this day and age, and at first blush, I'm incredulous that The Valley Swim Club (or any private U.S. "swim club" for that matter) is really that dumb and as racist as it appears to be. But then again, it probably is! I hope that this story will be updated over the next few days and that further information regarding this outrgage becomes available. This is really an important story and I hope that it doesn't go away until all the facts have come out. .

Karen Hatter

at 15:09 on July 9th, 2009

My thanks to Everyone for their recommends, for reading and their contributions to the thread.

Ironically, Stephen Girard College, the facility that has offered the Creative Steps Day Camp the use of its pool, was embroiled in a years long battle to remain segregated over 40 years ago, with one of my aunt's best friend's sons being among the first students of African descent to become a student there.

Girard College, founded in the 1800s, found itself sitting in the heart of an African American neighborhood in the 50s and 60s, surrounded by a massive stone wall, isolating it from the surrounding community and was originally attended only by White male students.

The school now is co-ed, doing away with both color and gender barriers to admission.

duo

at 20:00 on July 9th, 2009

Thanks, Karen. Your comment brings optimism that ugliness can and does often give way to something beautiful. Everytime I see a butterfly, it is a reminder that things can and do CHANGE!

Tina Kells

at 15:28 on July 9th, 2009

I think it is important to note that there is a little more to the story, several day camps (three to be exact) were turned away when adults complained about sharing the pool with large groups of small children. While on the surface it may appear to be racism this MAY not be the case.

Senator Arlen Specter will be looking into the incident, the pool has voluntarily shut down and will cooperate with the investigation, and many of the adults who complained about the kids have stepped forward.

I think this is a very complicated case and there are other factors that should be made note of... whether or not one chooses to accept them. The pool says that racism was not a factor at all and claims the situation was handled badly by representatives. All three summer camps were banned, not just the one, after people complained large groups of little kids would change the atmosphere at the pool.

I am not saying I believe the explanation or that the perception of the camp was wrong, I am only saying their are more details to this very unsettling story.

Karen Hatter

at 15:47 on July 9th, 2009

Thanks, Tina, for the comment.

MSNBC reported earlier this afternoon that the Valley Swim Club had closed its doors due to fears its members would be confronted by protesters, citing the club had read on the internet such protests were being organized.

MSNBC also reported the Valley Swim Club website had been shut down, with club management declining further comment.

ABC News, on its 6:30 EST news report, interviewed some of the children of Creative Steps Day Camp who stated the adults at the club made remarks regarding their race, questioning why were all those Black kids there, worrying their children might be hurt and their belongings might be stolen.

The director of the Creative Steps Day Camp told ABC News the day camp's membership fee had been returned without explanation.

It seems the claim that having too many children, offered by the Valley Swim Club, may be a specious claim and would seem to be an issue to have been addressed and a concern raised when the day camp applied for admission.

Surely the club would have inquired about the number of campers that would be in attendance at the pool.

It should be interesting to see what an investigation reveals.

Pythiian1

at 15:43 on July 9th, 2009

Shame on the Valley Swim Club, regardless of whether it is a private or public facility. It is truly outrageous that this kind of racism is occurring in 2009.

Sadly, this type of racist practice still occurs in other settings under different circumstances, and in this instance, the incident happens to have caught the news media attention.

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.

Pythiian1

at 15:51 on July 9th, 2009

This is an excerpt from the Philadelphia Daily News reported by Ms. Ronnie Polaneczky:

Trouble began immediately, says Wright, when she heard several white members make disparaging racial remarks about the campers, who are black and Hispanic. Wright says that Valley Club president John Duesler, who was on the premises, seemed surprised and embarrassed by the behavior but assured her that all would work out.

Two days later, she says, he called to say that members had overruled the board's decision to allow her large group to use the pool. He seemed sincerely sorry, she says, and said that campers' fees would be returned.

"I told him, 'You've got a bigger problem than that. Some of my campers heard what those people said, and they have told their parents. The parents are offended and outraged.' "

Who wouldn't be?

According to 14-year-old camper Dymir Baylor, with whom I spoke yesterday, some of the comments were heartless.

"I heard a white lady say, 'What are all these black kids doing here? They might do something to my child,' " recalled Dymir, who says he lives in a neighborhood so diverse, he'd never heard anyone speak like that before. "It was rude and ignorant."

His mom, Sharrae Thompson, was appalled that an adult would behave so terribly.

Wright was adamant that Duesler make things right.

"I told him, 'The parents don't want their money back. They want a good place for their children to swim, which is what they paid for. Please, let's try to work this out.' "

Despite phone calls and more debate at Valley Club, however, its members would not budge. So, the agreement was rescinded, and a refund check for $1,950 was issued to Creative Steps.

Karen Hatter

at 16:07 on July 9th, 2009

Oops! Double post!

Karen Hatter

at 16:05 on July 9th, 2009

Thank you, Pythiian1, for this additional report from a local news source.

politisite

at 16:07 on July 9th, 2009

Not a good day for the Children of Philly. The "complexion" statement bothers me the most

Paschen

at 16:19 on July 9th, 2009

I can hardly believe it and I could not believe it would I not read it here now.

Sad and distressing to know this does exist in a country like the US and this in 2009.

duo

at 19:29 on July 9th, 2009

Thanks for the article, Karen. This is the hot topic in many Yahoo groups today, and even the prisoner activists are beginning to circulate the horrid news.

Good gracious! I thought the Yankees were supposed to be different. They sound like the folks who have "separate but equal" high school proms around here where I live in the Deep South. I assume the moms and dads who were at the pools with their young kids were young white people, not elderly folks from the Jim Crow days.

What is most regretable is that children heard their parent's rude, racists comments to and about the minority children. Conversations around this issue are likely ongoing between pool members and their friends and family as the saga unfolds in the news. By the time this is over and their children have been firmly indoctrinated in reasons why "others" don't belong at recreational venues with "them," we'll have a brand new generation of racists on our hands in PA. It is so wrong to teach children to be racists.

The pool director reported that the black kids "changed the complexion" of the pool. God is the One who "changed the complexion" of people from one race to another, so blame it on your Creator! He likes diversity.

Unfortunately, it is time for the poem AGAIN.

LESSONS -

You've got to be taught to hate and fear
You've got to be taught from year to year
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made
And people whose skin is a different shade
You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught before it's too late
Before you are six or seven or eight
To hate all the people your relatives hate
You've got to be carefully taught
You've got to be carefully taught

--Show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific