wow, this isn't racist at all

[Ns1]

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com...ge-the-Complexion.html

(note that i said racist, and not illegal)

Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion" Campers sent packing after first visit to swim club

By KAREN ARAIZA



Dymire Baylor says he overheard a woman ask, "What are all these black kids doing?" when he and his freinds showed up.
NBC Philadelphia

Dymire Baylor says he overheard a woman ask, "What are all these black kids doing?" when he and his freinds showed up.


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"
Watch Video

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.

While the parents await an apology, the camp is scrambling to find a new place for the kids to beat the summer heat.

Update

The waters are still and the gates are locked at the Valley Swim Club Thursday. Board members decided to close the private Huntington Valley, Pa. club for the day as it combats accusations of racism for booting 65 mostly minority day campers from its grounds without explanation late last month.

Kids who are in the center of a firestorm over whether they were asked not to come back to a swim club because of the color of their skin wonder why people...

Creative Steps Day Camp paid The Valley Swim Club more than $1900 for one day of swimming a week, but after the first day, the money was quickly refunded and the campers were told not to return. Several campers said they heard pool members making racial remarks during their time inside the club.

Tempers further flared after the club's president John Duesler issued a statement Tuesday saying "There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion ? and the atmosphere of the club."

Club members, who were at the pool on the day of the incident, came forward Thursday to defend the organization.

"This has nothing to do with race," member Lori Slowinski said. "I paid my money for a private swim club?if they're gonna have it out to camps, then I want my money back."

Jim Flynn went right to the club president after the kids took the plunge into the pool.

"I was the first person to talk to the president, because the pool was overcrowded," said Flynn. "As members we have nothing to hide. There's good people here."

He believes the club's closure for fear of protests is wrong. "I do not condone the club being closed today and I will not condone it."

Members are angry the club, which is advertising open enrollment, inked deals with three camps to have campers come in and swim. They say members were not notified about allowing the camps to attend the club.

The club issued this statement late Thursday, responding to the allegations of racism:

The Valley Club is deeply troubled by the recent allegations of racism, which are completely untrue.

We had originally agreed to invite the camps to use our facility, knowing full well that the children from the camps were from multi-ethnic backgrounds. Unfortunately, we quickly learned that we underestimated the capacity of our facilities and realized that we could not accommodate the number of children from these camps. All funds were returned to the camps and we will re-evaluate the issue at a later date to determine whether it can be feasible in the future.

Our Valley Club deplores discrimination in any form, as is evidenced by our multi-ethnic and diverse membership. Whatever comments may or may not have been made by an individual member is an opinion not shared by The Valley Club Board.

Daniel Veres, a 16-year old Hispanic teen who is also a member, says the entire siutation is just a misunderstanding.

"We're not judgemental, we're just friendly," Veres said of the mostly white club.

For the children involved, the entire situation has left them simply sad and confused.

"I heard one lady saying 'Why's there so many black kids here' cause she said she was afraid that we might do something to her child," recalled camper Dymire Baylor. "How could they say that?"

If given the chance, the campers say they wouldn't step foot in the swim club, but they will be able to swim once again this summer. Girard College, a private Philadelphia boarding school for children who live in low-income and single parent homes, stepped in and offered their pool to Creative Steps.

"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.

The situation has become the center of national and international attention -- from bloggers to people on the street, many are angry over the move to ban the kids. Even U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) plans to launch an investigation into the discrimination claim.
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* Video Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion"

"The allegations against the swim club as they are reported are extremely disturbing," Specter said in a statement. "I am reaching out to the parties involved to ascertain the facts. Racial discrimination has no place in America today."

A protest is planned outside the gates of the Valley Swim Club Thursday night.

 

[Safeway]

Edit: It would change the dynamic of the pool. It is discrimination, yes, but adding sixty rowdy kids to the pool wouldn't be fun, regardless of their race.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: Safeway
Edit: It would change the dynamic of the pool. It is discrimination, yes, but adding sixty black kids to the pool wouldn't be fun.

PRIVATE CLUB

 

[Safeway]

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: Safeway
Edit: It would change the dynamic of the pool. It is discrimination, yes, but adding sixty black kids to the pool wouldn't be fun.

PRIVATE CLUB

That was my first post

 

[nakedfrog]

This should be interesting.

 

[Gothgar]

I call BS on the media overhyping this and not telling us the whole story

 

[amdhunter]

Text

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: Safeway
Edit: It would change the dynamic of the pool. It is discrimination, yes, but adding sixty black kids to the pool wouldn't be fun.

PRIVATE CLUB

It's still discrimination, just not illegal.

 

[TheVrolok]

Is it racist? Yep. But I suppose a private club that advertises open membership is still a private club and it sounds like they don't want a bunch of rowdy NE Philly kids in the pool. Are most of these NE Philly kids minorities? Probably. Yep, it's racist.. but I'm not sure what they can do about it.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Uhh, Private Club that the camp paid money to. Sounds like the Private Club should've alerted the regulars to what was going on to avoid confusion.

 

[gar3555]

Pool's Closed?

/chan

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: gar3555
Pool's Closed?

/chan

lol

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: Safeway
Edit: It would change the dynamic of the pool. It is discrimination, yes, but adding sixty black kids to the pool wouldn't be fun.

PRIVATE CLUB

Just because they call it private, doesn't mean legally they are private. Depends on how they've been acting before this incident. A quick google is that they have to make sure they do not act in a certain way that would let them get categorized as a public accomodation. If they are ruled a public accomodation, they're basically screwed.

 

[Baked]

This story is shens. Black people can't swim. Besides, the privates didn't want their regular customers to get robbed around the pool or get clock from behind. Getting knocked out and falling into the pool could be deadly.

 

[yowolabi]

Originally posted by: Safeway
Edit: It would change the dynamic of the pool. It is discrimination, yes, but adding sixty rowdy kids to the pool wouldn't be fun, regardless of their race.

They knew sixty rowdy kids were coming when they accepted the day care's money to let the kids come. All of a sudden it's no longer fun?

If you want to defend your right to be racist on your own property, feel free, but don't insult people's intelligence by claiming it's about something else.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: Baked
This story is shens. Black people can't swim. Besides, the privates didn't want their regular customers to get robbed around the pool or get clock from behind. Getting knocked out and falling into the pool could be deadly.

:roll:

 

[Slick5150]

Originally posted by: yowolabi

Originally posted by: Safeway
Edit: It would change the dynamic of the pool. It is discrimination, yes, but adding sixty rowdy kids to the pool wouldn't be fun, regardless of their race.

They knew sixty rowdy kids were coming when they accepted the day care's money to let the kids come. All of a sudden it's no longer fun?

If you want to defend your right to be racist on your own property, feel free, but don't insult people's intelligence by claiming it's about something else.

Yeah, exactly. They knew they were providing a membership to a day care for x number of kids to come in and use the pool once a week. Suddenly, when it turns out they're all minority students, that's not a good idea?

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: Safeway

Originally posted by: TechBoyJK

Originally posted by: Safeway
Edit: It would change the dynamic of the pool. It is discrimination, yes, but adding sixty black kids to the pool wouldn't be fun.

PRIVATE CLUB

That was my first post

I know.. i saw PRIVATE CLUB and went to quote it, so i could say something like what you edited your post to say.

When I clicked quote, it showed your edited reply instead of what I was trying to quote. So i responded with what I was trying to quote.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: ch33zw1z
Uhh, Private Club that the camp paid money to. Sounds like the Private Club should've alerted the regulars to what was going on to avoid confusion.

I smell a lawsuit coming ... breach of contract at the very least.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: Baked
This story is shens. Black people can't swim. Besides, the privates didn't want their regular customers to get robbed around the pool or get clock from behind. Getting knocked out and falling into the pool could be deadly.

:laugh:

 

[mesthead21]

Originally posted by: amdhunter
Text

yes! I love seeing that picture

 

[Safeway]

OIC.

 

[lupi]

Maybe they overheard one of the kids ordering pizza.

 

[buck]

I bet they were peeing in the pool.

 

[lxskllr]

Poor game on the club's part. They should have researched the camp group before agreeing to the pool usage. If I were running the club, I'd hold up my end of the contract with the camp group, and offer a partial refund of money for the paying members that request it, but tell them this is the way it's going to be this year.