http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Pool-Boots-Kids-Who-Might-Change-the-Complexion.html


More than 60 campers from Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from a private swim club and left to wonder if their race was the reason.

Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion"

Kids at Creative Steps Day Camp were thrilled to go swimming once a week at the Valley Swim Club. But after only one trip to the private club, they were...
"I heard this lady, she was like, 'Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?' She's like, 'I'm scared they might do something to my child,'" said camper Dymire Baylor.

The Creative Steps Day Camp paid more than $1900 to The Valley Swim Club. The Valley Swim Club is a private club that advertises open membership. But the campers' first visit to the pool suggested otherwise.

"When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool," Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. "The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately."

The next day the club told the camp director that the camp's membership was being suspended and their money would be refunded.

"I said, 'The parents don't want the refund. They want a place for their children to swim,'" camp director Aetha Wright said.

Campers remain unsure why they're no longer welcome.

"They just kicked us out. And we were about to go. Had our swim things and everything," said camper Simer Burwell.

The explanation they got was either dishearteningly honest or poorly worded.

"There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club," John Duesler, President of The Valley Swim Club said in a statement.



This is the most ridiculous thing ever....... People are so idiotic.

Good god.

Then again, my friend is working at Camp America this year. The other week was 'Philly week' where all these inner city kids came out to the camp. He said it was so difficult (yet rewarding)... he had a few kids that wouldn't do what he asked just because he was white (they told him this). So... racism works both ways.

It's doubtful that these kids were like that but perhaps the club thought they may be.

oh yeah, it works in every direction. i'm not saying it's one race in particular. it's EVERY race.

I see a wonderful discrimination lawsuit in the club's future. And I hope they bite it. This is absolutely ridiculous, and more appalling than I have words for.

Disheartening honesty is at least honesty. xD

But still. Hilarious. Law suit heading their way!

this is soo stupid. some people are so fucking ignorant, it's ridiculous. my daughter has a black friend that she met at the play place at the mall one day. my mom was all "aren't you scared to let her hang out with people like that?" i was literally disgusted that shit like this is still going on.

i other words "we're backward racist bastards and we're afraid their black skin will come off in the water and turn my kid into a n-gger".

how bout we throw kerosene in the water and set it on fire?

people like that just make me sick... there's no reason what so ever to have hate toward another human being based upon skin color or anything like that... it just makes me mad that people like that still exist. ugh.

I second that kerosene idea ;). I mean seriously, what year is it again? I'm surprised they didn't just straight up hang a 'whites only' sign. Whats worse is that all the white kids have obviously been socialized to be racist themselves, since they all exited the pool once the black kids came in. Cause everyone knows that little black kids are such a threat, they can't POSSIBLY just enjoy a dip in the pool without causing trouble too and 'changing the atmosphere' 8-| (and that is called SARCASM, before someone jumps down my throat). They made a big big mistake, I hope they get the shit sued out of them.

exactly.

i feel bad for the kids, it's just more ignorant hatred being passed on.

omgosh! How unbelieveable! I thought we were past those days of being so racist! Gah! If I had a swimming pool I would let them swim there any time they wanted!

Maybe someone should explain to them that they're just as black as those kids are. That all of the race's roots have been traced to Africa. We're all negro, that skin color change, is only a result of migrating away from the equator. Making racism a "pigment" of one's imagination.

To me this seems more like a class war, and it's unfortunate that often skin color dictates what class one is in!

I couldn't agree more, thanks for pointing all that out.

next they'll be saying that they don't allow dwarves in the pool, you know... just in case they all start shrinking *gasp*

lols! that's so funny :D

People like this are the ones who make white people look bad. I hate something like this happened in today's society. I guess there are always going to be ignorant people like this.

It makes me sick to think that after everything our country has been through that we are still struggling with this stupid drama. Yes, people are black, white, brown. Yes, we live different lives, however they are still people and humans. With feelings. Those poor kids.

Absolutely shocking that this sort of still happens in a multicultural country like the US.

Thankfully I think the British tend to be better educated when it comes to issues of race. I'd be surprised if something like this was to happen in the UK.

that's how private clubs are. for a while i had to take the kid i babysit to swimming lessons at the local country club, and there wasn't a single black or hispanic child in site. i also saw only white staff and swim instructors. it's like private clubs like that are one of the few places where racism lives, because they're allowed to deny people access if they want because it's "private".

Sadly, I'm not surprised, in two weeks I could see that some people are still extremely racist in the US. Being racist yourself is disgusting enough, but teaching your children racism to the extent that they get out of a swimming pool when a coloured child gets in, people like that shouldn't be allowed to breed.

I think it's because its still a new concept to have non-segregated things here.

By that I mean, my parents: they went to school when everything was segregated.
They didn't live around anyone but white people, and thus their views are pretty racist most of the time.
So they pass that stupid crap onto their kids.
Not saying thats okay, but that's unfortunately how it is for a lot of people here where I live. :(

This is the most....ignorant, stupid thing i've ever heard. I mean yeah if they kids and their parents woke up one morning and said "HEY lets go swim at the KKKlub!!" then that would be different but wow. This "club" sounds like it's got some SERIOUS balls. I hope they get sued till they have to declare bankruptcy. ugh.

No child is born a racist, it's a damn shame to see people like that. AND PLEASE Philadelphia is like the blackest city ever next to New Orleans, if you dont like it WTF ARE YOU DOING THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!?!?!?! LOL i mean obviously no disrespect by the statement but it's true Philadelphia has a VERY HIGH african american residency percentile. If your ignorant enough to hate someone cos of their skin tone....here's a tip, DONT MOVE TO AN AREA HIGHLY POPULATED BY THE PEOPLE YOU HATE.

Yeah yeah yeah, bad judgment, but as a person that actually spends time in Philadelphia, I can understand where they're coming from, based on the people that live in this goddamn city. Their previous clientele was probably relatively affluent, and they decided that they liked people with money better than people without money. (It's not a race thing, it never has been -- it's always been economics.)

How many of you are in Philly on a regular basis? Not many. We're called "Killadelphia" for a reason, and most of the people here are a bunch of ignorant pricks with no class, education, or intelligence.