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Can Swim Club That Kicked Black Kids Out Learn From Imus, Intel and McDonald's?
By Daryl C. Hannah - Jul 15, 2009
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Also read: multicultural missteps, Intel, cultural competence, Don Imus, Isaiah Washington, Barack Obama

 

You probably heard this story last week: A Philadelphia community pool had a contract with an inner-city daycare center, but the first day the Black kids showed up, white patrons pulled their kids out, claiming the Black children would "do something to their children" or change the "complexion" of the pool. The story gathered national media attention and now the NAACP is filing a discrimination lawsuit against the club.

 

How do you respond publicly when you've "done the wrong thing"? Think Imus. Think Intel. Think McDonald's. Click here to listen to DiversityInc's CEO Luke Visconti discuss this pool incident and cultural competency on Michel Martin's show on NPR.

 

How did the swim club respond? They hesitated--their biggest mistake. Then they re-invited the Black kids, who now don't want to attend because "Jim Crow swims here." They apologized, although not emphatically, and said they didn't mean to offend anyone. The chairman of the board offered to resign, but no one seems to want to take him up on it. What's the point? Everyone makes mistakes. If you do, own up to it right away and rectify the situation loudly and clearly.

 

Here's a look at some famous multicultural missteps from DiversityInc's archives and how they responded:

 

Don Imus:

 

What happened: Just when it didn't seem possible, Imus, host of MSNBC's "Imus in the Morning," managed to reach a new low. While discussing the NCAA women's basketball game between Rutgers University and the University of Tennessee, Imus openly described the Rutgers team, which had eight Black and two white women on it, as "nappy-headed hos" after the show's producer, Bernard McGuirk, called the team "hardcore hos."

 

His response: Imus apologized and put his apology at the top of his web site. Imus also appeared on Al Sharpton's radio show to apologize and to answer questions from the Black community about his remarks. And, the day after he was fired by CBS Radio and MSNBC for his remarks, he met with the entire Rutgers team and Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer at the New Jersey governor's mansion. Both the team and Stringer accepted Imus' apology, though it would be eight months before Imus would resurface on the radio.

 

Click here to read "'Nappy-Headed Hos': Don Imus Apologizes for Slur Aimed at Rutgers Team."

 

Intel:

 

What happened: Intel launched a television and print ad that featured six muscularly built, topless Black men bowing to an average-looking white man dressed in khaki pants and a blue, button-down shirt.

 

Their response: An Intel statement released by Nancy Bhagat, vice president and director of Integrated Marketing, read: "Intel's intent of our ad titled 'Multiply Computing Performance and Maximize the Power of Your Employees' was to convey the performance capabilities of our processors through the visual metaphor of a sprinter. We have used the visual of sprinters in the past successfully. Unfortunately, our execution did not deliver our intended message and in fact proved to be insensitive and insulting. Upon recognizing this, we attempted to pull the ad from all publications but, unfortunately, we failed on one last media placement. We are sorry and are working hard to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Click here to read "Black Men Bowing Down: Intel's Marketing Misstep."

McDonald's:

 

What happened: McDonald's included a real-life figurine of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer riding a motorcycle.

 

Their response:

"At McDonald's, we value and respect people of all ethnicities, as well as their cultural history."

 

The Custer Happy Meals ended at McDonald's June 19, reports said.

Click here to read "McDonald's Custer Toy Angers American Indians."

Click the play arrow below to listen to an interview of a witness to the Philadelphia pool incident.

Readers' Comments

Your opinions and thoughts...
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
How can you be so blind? The issue was the people were paying for a private swim club and everyone was coming for free. They have to pay, everyone else is free. That's the issue. Money not racism. .
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
The best teams and organizations are always comprised the lost diverse group of individuals; so how differently would this scenario have been played out if the parents of the white kids stood up and said if the black kids can not swim here my children will not be allowed to swim here either? It is only when parents and leaders truly take positive stances will we begin to makeany real progress as humans. If the parents of these kids do not take a stand many of those kids will grow up thinking that there is nothing wrong with treating people who do not look like them like garbage. But just like the vast majority of issues we face as adults the proving ground is in the home and more importantly in the hearts of the adults who are raising our future leaders, criminals and everything in between. It is time to stop taking our kids to church on Sundays but calling blacks [the N-word] and whites honkies at home all during the week! If your children know that you do not care for people of other races they will in most cases adopt the same attitudes; and even if they make friends with people from other ethics groups they will never bring them around us. Is that really the legacy we want to leave our children with?.
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
I am glad the Black children have enough pride and understanding to not want to go to this club to swim. The damage hsa been done because no matter what, those children herd what was said about them and you can believe me, they will never forget. The lesson here is there is still that race division and there are whites who just don't want to accept blacks, vice versa! What Black people need to grasp is that they need to establish their own facilities and perimeters. Black people need ot hold political offices that enforce equal distribution of state and local funds. Dr. Martin Luther King also said we should have seperate but Equal Rights under the law. Black people need to understand this and move away from situations that expose our child to the hurtful racism that White America seems unable or won't let go. .
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
The interview (sound clip) provided at the end of this article is from one observer's viewpoint. Which is fine because she can only speak of her experience. However, the caller mentions that the community where the pool resides consists of blue collar workers. Is she implying that only the country club and/or the white collar ilk can be prejudice? That is absurb and seems to dismiss the claims of the folks who had the opposite experience. .
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
The reader who says "money" is the issue has missed the fact that the daycare center had paid for and had a contract to use the pool. So, those kids and their parents had paid to be in the pool the same as the others. Money is clearly not the issue. .
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
Derek? Where did you see that the "inner" city kids didn't pay? They had a contract with the swim club? Now did the families pay themselves? More then likely not, however they were paid for by the state so the Swim Club is receiving money for services NOT rendered? That's the most shameful, the attitude of "we'll take your money, but you're not welcome here" is just sad.Why did they need the "inner-city" contract to begin with? Probably because in this economy they are finding to function without funds in addition to the "private" memebership fees they collect. Truth is....should they able to pay for the environment they want to put their own children in, sadly the answer is absolutely.Should they have been better acting ESPECIALLY since children were involved? YES, but civility is not mandatory and neither is intelligence. I say lets pull the inner-city contract and lets see how well they survive on "private-funding". You have to preach self-love, its the most enduring thing of all. You can't force others to like you especially when their base is founded in something unchangable and ignorant.Peace and Love..
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
"What Black people need to grasp is that they need to establish their own facilities and perimeters."Doris, I could not disagree with you more. That is old school thinking. The kids and parents did the right thing by taking a stance and telling the pool staff that they were wrong, and for refusing to go back. Establishing "perimeters" just excacerbates the situation and does not teach anyone anything...it just keeps us separate, with the same problems and issues. And Derek, I don't think it's all about money; they said the daycare had a contract with the pool. They may have been paying less than regular patrons, but they were paying. Given the brief facts listed here, it sounds like there may have been some racism going on..
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
The beef is with the people running the pool. I pay good money for a private pool club! Then they sell membership for a hundred kids for $190 total. No problem with the kids. PROBLEM WITH THE MANAGEMENT PRETENDING ITS A PRIVATE POOL. THEN DOING ANYTHING FOR REVENUE. I COULD GO TO THE Y FOR $5 .
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
I'm having a hard time finding where the community pool committed a faux pas in all of this. Your story specifically states that the "white patrons pulled their kids out" of the pool, not the pool's management. The management did not force the white customers to leave; they left on their own accord. Why do they owe anyone an apology, why is the chairman of the board being forced to resign, and more importantly, why in the world is the NAACP threatening legal action? The swim club wasn't discriminating against anybody (they're the ones who had the contract with the inner city daycare in the first place, remember?). It's the white customers who were being discriminatory. Oh, and if you know your history, Jim Crow was the name of a fictional black man from the 1800s, not some racist white southern lawmaker. So the fact that blacks no longer want to go to the pool because "Jim Crow swims here" makes no sense either. .
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
Actually, Derek, the daycare paid almost $2,000 for their contract with the swim club -- not $190. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, the swim club's official statement following the incident told us exactly what their issue was. To say they were concerned about the "complexion" of the pool being changed, is pretty clear evidence that had this been a daycare with mostly white children, those children would still be swimming at that pool. .
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
Anthony,I agree with your comments. Parents and family are a great influence in peoples lives. I think the swim club issue is inexcusable. America should be way past the point of excluding people based on the color of their skin..
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
After reading all the conments,all I can say is, I have had the displeasure of hateful racial comments from whites about my skin color and my racial makeup which I could no more change. I just wish for 1 week every white person in America could switch places with a Black person and feel the sting of racial predjuice. I bet you'd never forget and couldn't wait unitl you could get back to being white. As for most Blacks, we are glad and proud of who and what we are. I wonder if the same thing would have happened if it were another minoritiy such as Chinese, Middle Eastern or whatever, would the white people have left and would the board who accepted the money be compelled to apologize? America is now diverse and people need to accept and change their hearts..
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
Funny how people always find a way to excuse racism of today. Because to find an excuse makes people not accountable for being a disgusting piece of a human being. I for one would not support any business that feel as though charitable efforts are beneath them. And those individuals that were in the pool had no idea how much money was paid for those children to be there so to say they took the children out because they threw a hissy fit over money is idiotic. They took their children out for the same reason their kind used to take their children out. Some things will not change as long as there are people just like them always providing them with an excuse..
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
I was reading the article concerning the inner city children and the pool incident. I also read everyone's comments before mine. It seems, yes, the pool may have cut the daycare a lower rate than private members but many business do that for church or other groups as a courtesy. That is the up to the operators of the facility. The pool was deemed private--yet did the patrons ever address this with the pool? Furthermore, was this in their contracts---possibly they didn't read the fine print. Regardless, of ones economic status we all look for discounts to help others--especially children. I belong to our local Junior League and even though people see that as a bunch of "well to do" ladies---in our efforts to raise money and volunteer for our community we go to business to ask for donations or discounts in order to put together fundraisers for our causes. Many businesses oblige either for the publicity or because they truly want to help. So, that is rich folks asking for a "discount"--isn't it? But I assume that is acceptable? Furthermore, the parents of the white children should know better. I read comments eluding to they thought that the inner city kids would "do" something to their kids? What rich white kids are perfect angels??? Yea, the don't hurt nor harm anyone. Regardless of what side of the tracks you were raised or who raised you---you learn to make the decision to be decent. And hopefully the "private pool" kids will learn that their parents are wrong. And as for the complexion--why would you think that black people change the color of the pool water? Our color does not bleed off. Or were they referring to us as being dirty? Well, we wash also just like everyone else. It is shame in this day and age that SOME mindsets have not changed. I wonder if my husband and I are ever blessed with a child--if he or she would be warmly welcome to that pool---not sure how they view interracial children. Hopefully, one day that will not be an issue..
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
"Private" by definition, means that one group or some person is being excluded. And, based upon this incident, "private" meant WHITES only. Otherwise, the parents would not have reacted as they did nor said the things that were said in the presence of these children. Now, people are trying to do damage control but the fact remains that this Swim Club *is* its members; and until the glaring eye of national criticism was turned upon it for rejecting black children, willingly paid to ensure that the Swim Club stayed a place where only other whites were allowed to come. The "complexion" of the Club was white and is why its paying members became so upset--the status quo was being breached by the Club's Manager's inner-city kids' contract. I do not feel that the Manager of this Club, even under pressure, should be made to resign. This person *did* attempt to "open" the Club even if his rationale for doing so, was to bring in additional revenue to the Club. Still, it greatly saddens me that these types of incidences continue to make news. It is a constant reminder that America (arguably the best country in the world)is still taking two steps backward for every step it advances where race relations is concerned..
Posted Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 by Guest;
This comment refers to Riley's suggestion that the comment "Jim Crow swims here" makes no sense begs a small history lesson. Jim Crow was indeed a fictional character of the late 1800's, during the era of Reconstruction. What is missing in Riley's analysis is an understanding of the social practices and procedures which guided both access and denial to public and private accomdations for Blacks that resulted from the Jim Crow or antebellum era. The swim club incident demonstrates the vestigial remains of the thinking of whites of that time which have been institutionalized into the social fabric of America. These social practices ones that now occur on a voluntary, de facto basis as evidenced by the actions of the pool's White members. The Jim Crow belief system remain firmly entrenched is the social fabric and race relations of the U.S., particulary when individuals are given a choice as to who, how, and when they will interact with others who do not look li ke them. .
Posted Thursday Jul 16, 2009 by Guest;
Dear American, Kindly permit me to pug my nose in your national or local issue.I am a Belgian and who happens to follow racial ramifications around the world. In my view and experience Racism is a form of barbarism, unfortunately still strongly practised in in various forms in MODERN USA Did I hear USA is the biggest and if not best democracy in the world? Did I hear someone say USA sets standards for the world? Did hear a chorus of chants somewhere GOD save our country? What a shame...when these great values exist on paper or in rhetorics, but hardly have an inpact on the lives of the common USA citizens? To those who think black/coloured kids would colour the water in the pool, permit me to say this: [...] your hypocricies are staining the pool and the minds of the humbles American than any other thing you think you are superior to.The thought of a BelgiumRegards .
Posted Thursday Jul 16, 2009 by Guest;
I think there's another issue. While I can appreciate companies handling these issues with skil and aclarity, however I wonder if pledging to "never do/say that again" is the point.It would seem that what these various companies and people said or did is a function of their thinking. While they can promise not to repeat the behavior, what can they do to address their thought process.At INTEL, for instance, a sentient (one ssumes) group of adults sat in a room and decided that a picture of six topless muscular Black men bowing to an average looking White man somehow conveyed a message about thheir processor's computing power. It was likely reviewed by others and ultimately approved by a person (or persons) with the appropriate poewr and budget. That's a lot of seemingly intelligent people involved in an obviously stupid decision.That says a great deal about how they think ... a presents an enormous task in terms of facilitating change. .
Posted Thursday Jul 16, 2009 by Guest;
Riley V. wondered where the club's faux pas was in this story. Their mistake was simply this: following the white parents' complaints about the black campers swimming in the pool, the club's management told the camp that their "membership was being suspended and their money would be refunded" according to a story on the local NBC website (July 9, 2009).As for the use of the phrase "Jim Crow swims here"; clearly, the reference is to Jim Crow laws--which were indeed named after a fictional character in a minstrel song--rather than to the character himself. Their point is that segregation is being practiced at the club..
Posted Thursday Jul 16, 2009 by Guest;
My son attended a YMCA summer camp at a catholic school and they took the kids to a swim club that years ago did not allow blacks. One day when he wanted to swim he suggested this pool and I took him there with some trepidation. I asked a desk attendant, a red haired white post teen girl if you had to be a member. She was reading a paperback and ignoring us before hand. She turned from her side and and said sarcastically 'yeah'. She did not say if we could 'open swim ' for a daily fee or ask us to apply for a membership to the pool. This was in the 1990! Conversely when my son's mom built her house her brothers asked if she was going to have a pool. She said there is one around the corner, but no water was in it. It seems a philanthropic white lady built the pool and gave it to the community. It was olympic sized and cost families $75 a year before the 80s. They had a fire @ '82 and it was thought there was a leak. A black insurance man moved out here in the 70s, paid the taxes and they found no leak. Folks running the pool were putting money in their pocket. Since the businessman was from the 'city' no one wanted to work with him so the pool rec. association had to pay him $30 grand( back taxes)back. Today the pool is gone and they are trying to build a new senior center. They got a grant from the county , state, etc. but it is still unfinished. By the way I bought a family membership at a pool nearby(white development) the next year in'96 for $285 but my son stayed up every night playing video games and wanted to go to the pool after 1 or 2pm and the next year I did not get one because it was not worth it. The moral? Why do we do everything on WHITE MONEY!.
Posted Thursday Jul 16, 2009 by Guest;
Black is a very dark color that does not match the description of several individuals. So to call someone black or white, who really should be considered brown or tanned, is foolish on the behalf of the person who is making these statements. When you talk about people, you are talking about the one who created them which is God Almighty. I pray that God will have mercy on those who have prejudice bond in their hearts. .
Posted Thursday Jul 16, 2009 by Guest;
First of all, this is very telling for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where xenophobic prejudice is still the prominent means for judging human character. Hopefully, the new upgrades in healthcare will contain coverage for sensitivity training associated with the pandemic mental illness associated with ethnic phobia.When are we collectively finally going to get it? Humanity is a single race of PEOPLE! We're all people! Our diverse cultures, sexualities, and ethnic heritages only make us interesting, not a different phyllum of a variant sapien species as these sociopathic eugenicists would have us believe. We hail from four blood types and two genders. We are ONE Human Kind! ONE!!! So, this unjustified fear and loathe one for another is simply ridiculous. Mankind is never going to advance an inch further ahead until we eradicate this idiocy of pandemic self-hatred and reproach we hold in our twisted hearts against our own humanity, based on caustic phobias we have for different skin colors, hair textures, aesthetics of beauty, ethnicity, religion, and/or sexuality. Racial prejudice is an absurd mental illness that is screaming for a global cure. This sort of unfair hateful injustice should be prosecutably criminalized. All men and women are created equal, and should be free to be the people they are without penalty of uncalled for derrision and contempt for their inate human attributes that have little to do with their character..
Posted Friday Jul 17, 2009 by Guest;
The more we have grown as a nation can't be affected by plain stupid and intolerant people. The swim club was wrong and should have responded sooner and with a stronger voice. Imus, Mickey D's and Intel were good examples of genuine sorrow for their remarks. Perhaps diversity should also include the Letterman comments about Sarah Palin's daughter and Jaime Foxx's comments about Miley Cyrus( a minor) which got no shame on you from your site. You can't selectively pick and chose what offends others simply based on distasteful humor or race and your version of politically correct..
Posted Friday Jul 17, 2009 by Guest;
I think we need to reexamine what is going on. Racism as we knew it based solely on the color of ones skin is dead. What we really have is a strong socioeconomic bias that mimics racism. The problem is too many people associate "black" with things like poor, uneducated, gang-banger, etc and "white" with educated, wealthy, elitist, etc. People like to associate with other people in the same socioeconomic class as themselves. The Colbert Report last night had a piece on "Guns in Bars". Watch that and let's see what happens when those white people show up at the pool filled with white yuppies.Anyway, just some thoughts. .
Posted Friday Jul 17, 2009 by Guest;
It was not just the "Club". Our news reported that people yanked their kids out of the water when the minority kids jumped in. They did not permit their kids to stay in the pool. So it was the club operators and the members. What a GIANT LEAP backwards for man kind. Shame Shame Shame on them all. .
Posted Saturday Jul 18, 2009 by Guest;
[Derek said...] How can you be so blind? The issue was the people were paying for a private swim club and everyone was coming for free. They have to pay, everyone else is free. That's the issue. Money not racism. [/Derek]But the fact is that the kids DID pay, the club accepted a paid contract to allow the kids in. It is rare to find examples so CLEARLY racism as this one. .
Posted Saturday Jul 18, 2009 by Guest;
I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but are we absolutely sure the kids got kicked out because they were Black? Or were they kicked out because there were too many kids for the facility to comfortably and safely handle?I'm just thinking that if the club were as inherently and blatantly racist as people are alleging, they wouldn't have even thought to offer the use of their facility to these kids in the first place.I'm not a "kid person". If I had planned on spending a leisurely day relaxing at the pool and all of the sudden a hundred screaming little kids descended on it, I would't be happy, regardless of what race either I or those kids are. Every adverse evemt isn't necessarily racism, although spinning it what way is what sells in the press. .
Posted Sunday Jul 19, 2009 by Guest;
[jayne]I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but are we absolutely sure the kids got kicked out because they were Black? Or were they kicked out because there were too many kids for the facility to comfortably and safely handle? [/jayne]The folks who made the contract, and the folks who complained were not the same people. Whether the leadership knew of the racial makeup of the group or not, when the kids showed up, the club members at the pool started the ruckus.The most damning evidence comes from the mouths of the club members themselves... they actual stated that this issue was about "complexion".It is possible that ANOTHER underlying issue is snobbery, and that the folks who could afford the pool membership honestly don't like being around folks who can't afford a full membership, which is an issue as well. The issue of snobbery, if it exists, does not explain or diminish the clear racism evident in the words of the pool members themselves.I think the kids are better off being away from folks who have no ability to value them as human beings. When folks reveal their racism, for me it is like road signs that remind me to steer clear. I don't want to punish them, or shame them, I just don't want to be subjected to them.Racism, whether it is some white folks kicking some black folks out of a pool, or whether it's black folks suggesting all white folks are "like that"... any form of racism cheats the racist out of the deepest part of the human experience; relationship.In this case, the clear racism evident in this case saved the kids from being subjected to racism during their visits to the pool... it's actually better to have a racist identify their views, than to be in a situation that the views exist but are suppressed. Suppressed racism has power to poison kids subjected to it without the racism ever being identified. .
Posted Monday Jul 20, 2009 by Guest;
Why is not a problem when blacks verbally insult each other? Why should Don Imus or anyone else be held to a higher standard than the ones we set for ourselves? What he said was truly an insult; but I am no more offended by his comments than I am when I hear the foul langauge and derogatory statements that black people make to each other. We need to be very careful when we start making attempts to limit anyones free speech; anyone should be allowed to say anything they want to say. However it should be our responsibility to hold them accountable. This can only be accomplished once we start repecting each other; and yes this is one of those behaviors that must be nurtured and developed during our formative years. If you do not like the way people talk about or treat you stop buying their products, goods, or services. When I see young black men walking around with tattoos in their faces and their pants almost dragging the ground it breaks my heart. Without self-respect one can never expect to be respected by others; this is just one brothers opinion..
Posted Tuesday Jul 21, 2009 by Guest;
One day we were told we were free Next day we still begging to be Treated fairly, with respect, dignity and pride Why should the black kids hide their beautiful black skin From the closed minded racists that were at the pool pretending they were better than others??I struggle here to understandthe common thinking of modern manWhat is there to question aboutthis situation??It was demoralizing and blatant discrimination!!!To continue to toleratethe anger and the hateis a slap in my forefathers face!It's time to stand up and do rightYou are not better then me because your white!I pray anyone who reads this notehelps to find an anecdoteto solve the problem of racial stereotypes this is real life not a hypeNothing about this incidentWas misunderstoodThe people at the poolWhere racist and that's not coolThose black kids had a right to swimIn this situation no one winsTracey.
Posted Wednesday Jul 22, 2009 by Guest;
The thing that surprised me the most was that the Camp Kids were told they had to put their backpacks on a table outside of the locker room and only take their swim suit into the locker room to change. Then while they were trying to gather their things, they were told they would not be allowed to use the locker room to change clothes. They were told that they had to change in the bathroom (a separate area). They would not be allowed into the locker room area. There were reports that members had voiced concern that things would be stolen if the Camp Kids were allowed into the Locker Room with backpacks. It is shameful behavior on the part of the club and the members. .

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