When many think about people in marine sciences, and in particular shark sciences, Black folk in general and Black women in particular are not the first that spring to mind, but there is a new organization that is striving to be seen and take up space in a discipline which has been largely inaccessible to minoritized communities. We'll speak to, Ja…

Detroit was once know as the Motor City and the birthplace of MoTown, but it was also home to one of the most thriving Black swim communities in the country, where great swim legends like Robert "Bucky" Johnson, and Clyde James plied their trade. Notable swim coaches like Carl Edwards and Clarance Gatliffe paced the decks, but like so many other ri…

As the swim community slowly begins to grapple with its legacy of racism too often those who are asked to speak about its impact on Black and Brown communities are usually adults. Most are sincere in trying to make access for learn to swim and competitive swimming more equitable and inclusive for young male, female, and non-binary youth. However, n…

The Nile Swim Club, located in Yeadon, PA is the oldest Black-owned pool in the country. Today on a special episode of Crossing The Lane Lines, we'll hear an interview of Anthony Patterson, the president of The Nile Swim Club conducted by Victoria Prizzia, the curator of the POOL exhibit in Philadelphia, about the founding and mission of the Nile S…

Lia Thomas, a trans female swimmer on the University of Pennsylvania's Women's Swim team, has caused quite an uproar not only in the swimming world, but amongst the general public as well. Many claim that opposing Thomas' participation in women's sports has nothing to do with her being a trans athlete. However, over the last ten years, multiple sta…

Pauline Jackson, Water Johnson, Willis Hanks, Charles Chapman, these are but a few of the accomplished marathon swimmers in the Black community, Though they are not as well known as their White counterparts such as Lynne Cox or Trudy Ederle, they were just as successful. Now we add one more name to this illustrious society of endurance athletes, Ca…

Since last summer's uprisings concerning the lynching of George Floyd, Ahamad Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, a number of swim clubs, and swim organizations have tried to foster some form of inclusivity otherwise known as diversity, equity and inclusion, but before most had the thought of making this a goal, a non-profit, grassroots organization called…

With the possible exception of Jim Ellis, and Anthony Nesty, most people in the swimming world wouldn’t be able to name one Black coach. If most Black male coaches are hardly known, what does that say about Black female coaches? Today we’ll speak to researcher, former collegiate swimmer, and elite level swim coach, Dr. Tiffany Monique Quash, about …

In 2013, a group of women who were attending the BLACK SCUBA DIVERS ASSOCIATION Annual Summit, got together to discuss the lack of representation of African American women in the Diving World, Marine Sciences, Oceanographic studies, and scientific diving. What was born from this conversation was the creation of the most comprehensive program challe…

In the US the government has wide control over public schools. They require equal educational opportunities for pupils of different races and ethnicities, the length of the school year, and of course vaccinations, but what about mandating swimming? Why isn't this vital life-skill a requirement in public schools nationwide? We'll speak to Shawn Slev…

Since last summer's uprising after the lynching of George Floyd, many White people said that they would stand with Black and Brown folk to demand systemic change that imbrues this racist society. White female athletes like Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Paige Bueckers, have come to the defense of their fellow Black and Brown teammates often times fac…

When one thinks of reasons why Black children don’t swim, people say that they can’t afford lessons, and this is true somewhat, but a more practical reason involves another critical lifeskill; food. After all, if one is dealing with food scarcity swimming probably won’t be a top priority. Further, most swim programs that target underserved communit…

DC is home to The White House, The Washington Monument, and The MLK Memorial, everyone knows this, but what many don't know about is that its also home to some of the most vibrant Black aquatic programs in the country, and many were either founded or influenced by one man. Today, we'll speak to Lorn Hill, a 35-year employee of DC's Recreation and P…

NOTE: Apologies for the brief audio distortion.From seaweed to lost beach balls, sun-seekers bump into all sorts of surprises swimming along Florida’s iconic beaches. For Black swimmers however, there’s a complex history floating off Florida’s coastline – one of segregation and violence, but also one of protest and resistance. Diving deep into Blac…

Access to water for fun isn’t a privilege, and learning how to swim is a basic life skill. Both were denied to Black Americans through centuries of slavery and discrimination. That legacy is the focus of a daring new exhibit: POOL: A Social History of Segregation which opens Sept. 3, at the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center and runs through…

On a special episode of Crossing The Lane Lines, I'll be interviewed by the co-hosts of the podcast The End of Sport about my swim journey, the impetus for creating Crossing The Lane Lines, my ongoing frustration with USA Swimming, and a brief history of Blacks in America and the broader Black diaspora about our relationship to aquatics, and the ch…

On July 17th, at a press conference after she failed to make the 100m finals at the Olympic Trials, Simone Manuel, was grilled by journalists concerning her medical diagnosis of Overtraining syndrome. Many framed their questions as if to question whether The diagnosis really exists. All elite athletes have to answer questions about their performanc…

The crawl stroke or freestyle, is one of the most technically challenging strokes to master. Both the United States, and Australia claim to have improved it over the last 100 years, but who founded it, and why is it so important to discuss its origins concerning the subject of "Whiteness"? In part two of our two part series on the subject, we'll sp…

Simone Manuel, is regarded as one of the best freestylers in the World. However, far too often she is referred to as the best Black swimmer in the World. Her Blackness is constantly put front and center, while at the same time you never hear someone define Katie Ledecky by her Whiteness. Why is that? In part one of a two-part series, we'll speak to…

Many Black swimmers have had to deal with being the only one at their meets that look like them. They've experienced isolation, ridicule, and racism. A foreigner in a foreign land, but on the Memorial Day weekend they get the opportunity to experience swimming from a Black perspective at the National Black Heritage Championship Swim Meet. Today we'…

In his more than 40 years of coaching, he built an elite age group swim program in North Philadelphia from the ground up, produced two junior national finalists, helped countless athletes get swim scholarships to prestigious colleges and universities. He was the first man of African descent to coach swimming in the NCAA: First at Temple University,…

Most people have done cannonballs, somersaults, and jumped off of springboards into a pool, lake or bay, but not many I’ll wager have ever attempted to jump off a 100ft cliff, executing a perfect dive. Today we’ll speak to former professional high diver, Chip Humphrey, about his extraordinary career.…

Many individuals in the swimming world condemned Olympian Klete Keller’s active participation in the insurrection at our Nation’s capital on January 6th. However, USA Swimming’s tepid response to a former member’s actions, that many considered seditious, were met with disillusionment and anger within the Black swim community. After last summer’s pr…

If you mention names like: Doc Counsilman, and Mark Spitz, your probably going to have a number of people in the swim community that have heard of them. Powerhouse swim programs like Indiana University, and The University of Texas would be familiar to many who follow swimming as well, but what about names like Clarance Pendelton, or Malachi Cunning…

Over the last 116 years, only two Black men have made the Olympic roster in water polo, or 1.27%. On the women's side it's not much better. In the last 16 years, only one Black woman has made the Olympic roster, which comes to about 2.4%. Today we'll be joined by two guests, former men's national team member, and 2007 Pan American gold medal winner…

Last summer USA Swimming was called out for not only it's slow response to speak on the lynching of George Floyd, but also it's failure to acknowledge that Black Lives Matter. This all came about mainly as a result of a social media post that went viral, calling out the need for USA Swimming to listen to members of the Black swim community, and tak…

Over its history the sport of competitive swimming has not been a bastion of inclusiveness for Black folk, and if we're talking about synchronized swimming it's even less so, but one woman is making a tremendous difference in how the sport is seen and who is being seen in it. Today we'll speak to Ashley Johnson, an elite level synchronize swim coac…

The Jim Crow era is considered one our nation's darkest times. The "so called" separate, but equal, may have been seen as egalitarian by White folk, but Black people knew, and lived the real story. Jobs, housing, education and yes, swimming were far inferior in Black neighborhoods, but through it all, Black people found a way to rise up. Today, we'…

On January 6th, 2021, a 6 foot 6 inch former US Olympic multi-medal winning swimmer, Klete Keller, took part in the violent insurrection on our Nation's Capital. Like many in the crowd, he was allowed to leave the building following the devastation that claimed the lives of five people. Many athletes of color, and people of color in general, clearl…

The challenges of elite Black swimmers has been well-documented on this show, but what about the challenges that face their parents. We'll speak to activist and mother of an elite age-group swimmer, Melanie Hinson, about the hardships of; equipment, travel, lodging, registration fees, and whether or not their child feels safe on a pool deck surroun…

Many Historical Black Colleges and Universities had established swim programs, a place where young Black men and women could attend not only to compete, but feel like they were not aliens in a sport that has been dominated by Whites. But over the last several decades, all but one have dropped their programs. So, what happens to those that wish to c…

Black people have many excuses why we don't swim; hair issues, body type, bone density, parents never learned, chlorine burns the eyes and many more, but who in their right mind walks around in, eats, sleeps, and bathes, with a life vest on? We'll speak to filmmaker, Ed Accura, about his acclaimed film on the subject of Black culture issues with sw…

USA Swimming recently announced the formation of a Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Council to address and find solutions to the lack of participation of Black, Brown and other marginalized communities within the swimming world, but will this work? Will those at the regional and local levels be willing to adapt to change? Further, would any of this …

Between 1915 and 1970, nearly six million African Americans fled the Jim Crow South in search of a better life in the North. The vast majority found solace along the East Coast and Mid-West, but some ventured farther to the sands and sun of California. Today we'll speak to historian, Dr. Alison Rose Jefferson, about the great migration westward, an…

Since May of this year, various sports bodies have spoken out about the need to address systemic racism. The NFL, NBA, and even USA Swimming have uttered the phrase: “Black Lives Matter.” But while this “so called” solidarity is going on, where is the surf community? Why have they largely remained silent on the issue of racism and privilege? We’ll …

In 2004, Maritza McClendon became the first African American woman to make an Olympic team, but with this triumph came the burden of representing an entire community. Today, in her own words, she'll talk about her swimming career, the rewards, accolades, and yes the racism that she endured.

From 1445 to 1880, Black people were regarded as the best swimmers, and canoe builders in the world. How did this happen, and how did it change so dramatically? Dr. Kevin Dawson will join us to explain.

Taking on stereotypes like the age old one that “Blacks can’t swim,” is challenging enough, but how does one take on this issue when the subject believes it themselves? We’ll speak with Bruce Wigo, former head of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, about this very thing.

Lunch counter sit-ins, marches, boycotts, they all were effective for Blacks to demand their equal rights in the US, and moving forward with integrating public spaces, but what about pools? How were they integrated? Will speak to Dr. Jeff Wiltse, about the history of bath houses, swimming pools, and their place in the Civil Rights movement, and the…

Google the words: “Blacks and swimming”, and you mostly see stats on drowning rates, but over the last several years, Ebony Rosemond, has changed that for the better.

Welcome to the Crossing The Lane Lines podcast. A show which highlights the struggles, triumphs, and forward movement of the Black Swim community. Please join us beginning in August 2020 as we highlight the voices of coaches, swimmers, authors and activists, who make waves in the pool, on the deck, and in open water.…