By Cara Anthony

May 13, 2025

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<br /> <span class="byline">Cara Anthony</span></p> <p>LISTEN: KFF Health News correspondent Cara Anthony appeared on WAMU’s “Health Hub” segment on May 7 to share her reporting on community efforts to close a public health gap by teaching more Black Americans to swim.</p> <p>Generations of Black Americans have faced barriers to swimming. A history of systemic exclusion from pools is one factor that has led to higher drowning rates among Black children and adults than their white peers. More than a third of Black adults report they do not know how to swim, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cdc.gov/injury/media/pdfs/2024/10/VitalSignsPrint_DrowningInTheUS_2024.pdf&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1746460521851958&usg=AOvVaw38d4hgHYUfufReqNDKijV0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>.</p> <p>Water safety advocates across the country are providing swim lessons to encourage Black people of all ages to overcome fears and build confidence.</p> <p>KFF Health News correspondent Cara Anthony appeared on WAMU’s “Health Hub” segment to talk about drowning disparities, and efforts to save lives and reclaim the joy of swimming.</p> <p><a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KFF Health News</a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about <a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KFF</a>.</p> <h3>USE OUR CONTENT</h3> <p>This story can be republished for free (<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/listen-black-swimmers-swim-lessons-water-safety-exclusion-pools-history/view/republish/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">details</a>).</p> <p>
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