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Black kids booted from Philly club's 'whites-only' pool

by: Pam Spaulding

Wed Jul 08, 2009 at 21:37:11 PM EDT


Welcome to post-racial America, where people have their heads in the sand about the state of race relations in this country because a black man was elected POTUS.

The staff at the Valley Swim Club in NE Philly  must have stepped into the DeLorean and took a spin back into the days of segregation, as 60 kids were turned away from the pool there and apparently the people at the Swim Club didn't mind their inner bigot surface for all to see.  (NBC Philly):

"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."

..."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.

Excuse me, what year is this? Am I watching a rerun of a scene in Far From Heaven (2002)? There was a scene in the Todd Haynes film, set in the 1950s, where a black boy, the son of service worker at a Miami hotel, dares to step into the hotel pool. His father rushes and pulls him out, but it's too late -- the white people in the pool race to get out of the "contaminated" water. Apparently that's the kind of "change they can believe in" at The Valley Swim Club.

Contact information for the club is here. This is so outrageous that I'm almost unable to type.

I don't see anything on the membership app asking about race, so when do they determine you can't join -- when you show up? Check out the club's rules of operations below the fold.

Pam Spaulding :: Black kids booted from Philly club's 'whites-only' pool
I don't see anything here about no Negroes.
The Valley Club
2009 Rules of Operation

(7) Only one person allowed on the diving board at a time.
(8) No glass of any kind is allowed on the club grounds.
(9) Floating devices not secured to the swimmer are prohibited except at specific times.
(10) Swimming under the diving board is strictly forbidden.
(11) The pool apron must be kept free of blankets, towels, clothing, chairs, strollers, etc...
(12) The baby pool and nearby play area are for children under 7 years of age.
(13) Baby swim diapers must be worn in the baby pool.
(14) Children not toilet trained may not use the large pool.
(15) No guard is on duty for the baby pool. Parents are responsible.
(16) Smoking, eating, drinking, and gum chewing is not permitted on the pool apron or in the pool. Smoking is permitted in designated areas only.
(17) Each member is responsible for keeping the grounds clean.
(18) Please do not attempt to intimidate the pool employees in the performance of their duties.
(19) Pool managers and lifeguards are responsible for enforcing the above rules and regulations.
GENERAL
(1) Types of Membership: FULL-SEASON=entitles members to access club every day we are open. WEEKENDS=entitles members to access club on Fri, Saturdays,& Sundays WEEKDAYS=entitles members to access club Mondays thru Thursdays

ALL WELCOME ON HOLIDAYS!
(2) Membership cards must be presented upon request to obtain entrance to the club. Please be prepared to show a driver's license with your membership card.
(3) Pets are not permitted on club grounds
(4) Persons under the influence of intoxicants will be denied admission to the club.
(5) Possession and/or the use of alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited. The club is not responsible for the loss or damage to personal property.
(6) Any member (or guest) deliberately destroying or damaging pool property will be subject to financial reimbursement for the damages and disciplinary action in violating the by-laws.
(7) Loading and unloading of vehicles will be permitted at the upper level, but all members and guest vehicles must be returned to the paved parking lot located at the club entrance.
(8) Picnic tables must not be placed anywhere other than the picnic area, nor may they be reserved. A limited number of picnic tables may be reserved by the Club Manager for pre-registered member parties during the week.
(9) Cooking must be confined to the areas designated for this purpose.
(10) Tables on the patio next to the snack bar are to be used only for eating food purchased at the snack bar.
(11) Water Volleyball Schedule
Saturdays/Sundays
2:00 to 2:30 pm and 4:00 to 4:30 pm
(12) Adult Lap Swim Schedule
Everyday
11:30 am to 12:30 pm; 2:30 to 2:50 pm; 4:30 to 4:50 pm; 5:30 to 6:00 pm
(13) The shallow end of the pool will remain open to the full membership during these lap swims.
POOL HOURS
(1) The gate to the pool will be open from 11:30 am until 8:30 pm, weather permitting.
(2) If there is inclement weather forecast for the day, please call the club answering machine to find out if the club is open or not.
(3) During Our Swim Lessons (Mondays thru Thursdays), the shallow end of the pool will open at 12:30 pm to accommodate swim lessons.
These rules are for the benefit of all club members and must be obeyed at all times. Members are responsible for their children and guests, in compliance with club rules. It is the responsibility of each member to inform guest of pool rules. Infractions may result in temporary loss of club privileges or loss of membership. Please help by respecting and obeying the rules. Situations arising that are not specifically covered by the established rules will be resolved by the manager or the Board of Directors at anytime.

HEALTH AND SAFETY
(1) All members use the club facilities at their own risk.
(2) Children under the age of 13 must be accompanied at all times by an adult member (17 years or older).
(3) All children under the age of 13 must pass a swimming test to be permitted in the deep end without an adult.
(4) Use of the pool will be refused to anyone wearing bandages or having skin abrasions, colds, coughs, inflamed eyes, skin infections, etc...
(5) All bathers must shower before entering the pool.
(6) Running is not permitted on the pool apron.

GUEST REGULATIONS
(1) All guests must be accompanied by the sponsoring member upon entering the club grounds. Members must remain with their guests. You may not bring guests into the club and leave the grounds.
(2)The club strongly urges the use of pre-paid guest cards. These cards may be purchased pre-season with dues. They may also be purchased through the pool manager.
(3) Guest Rates:
Adults $10.00
Children (under 17) $5.00
Guest Rates After 6:00 pm
Adults $5.00 Children (under 17) $2.00
(4) We invite you to have your family birthday or other parties at our club (including summer company picnic). Our Party Rate for 2009 Members will be $7 per person. For non-members it is $10 per person. For parties, our grounds are open to members and non-members, alike. Parties must pre-register with the pool manager to reserve enough tables/space.
Join Our Swim and Dive Teams: TheValleyClub.com

More at J&J Politics. Here's a great video:

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This just makes me sad..
poor kids, they just wanted to swim and have a good time.  This pulls my heart strings.

With so much damn work to be done, how will everyone ever be given the equality we all deserve :\


.
   

Close the GayTM. Only give to candidates who have actually done something other than make promises - most are just pandering for our cash.

At a loss for words, I mean really?


Close the GayTM. Only give to candidates who have actually done something other than make promises - most are just pandering for our cash.

[ Parent ]
It's the Ugly Side of Freedom of Assembly
If the club is private and takes no government money at all, then nope, it's 100% protected as right of assembly and association.  As absurd as it sounds, there are still quite a few exclusive country clubs in the United States that wouldn't permit Tiger Woods to play on their grounds.  It's just generally not discussed.  (Part of me does wonder if there could be a case made based on the fact that money changed hands; a family member of mine works at a law firm on Park Avenue so I may have to call him on this.  Even if it only induced a settlement, the club needs to be punished severely.)

This is the ugly flip side of the Janus door of a free society.  The government can't tell people with whom to associate.  

The only way to destroy these types of clubs are to socially shame those who are members of such organizations. The goal is to have the reputational damage that comes with membership far outweight the perceived social, professional, and convenience benefits of belonging.

Frankly, I say that someone tracks down a list of the members and plasters their photographs all over a 5-mile radius of their homes explaining that they are a member of a club that doesn't want black children to swim in their pool.  Most people would simply quit the club, destroying its finances, rather than be labeled a bigot.  Shame really can be used as an effective political weapon.  

(Not really related but the same underlying legal concept: The thing I've struggled with is the idea of gender-based exclusive clubs because on one hand, as a man, I personally don't have a problem if a group of women wants to create a female-only support group or business club for startups.  It just doesn't bother me.  I understand, though, the argument that if these become professional networks that boost job-related opportunities, they are problematic.)

I'm still in shock this happened in the United States in 2009.  A few weeks ago, a friend of mine (who is nearly 70) said one of her former classmates had "cried herself out" because her granddaughter was dating a black man.  I thought this kind of social programming was dying out little-by-little each day, but stories such as this one make optimism difficult.  


[ Parent ]
There's that pesky "public accommodation" rule
It is illegal for those who provide public accomodation to discriminate against a protected class (which includes race).

A public accommodation is a private entity that owns, operates, leases, or leases to, a place of public accommodation. Places of public accommodation include a wide range of entities, such as restaurants, hotels, theaters, doctors' offices, pharmacies, retail stores, museums, libraries, parks, private schools, and day care centers. Private clubs and religious organizations are exempt requirements for public accommodations.

Since this club leases their pool out to the public, they are no longer considered a private club. They are a simply a private entity that leases out their pool to the public and they can't discriminate based on race or any other protected status (gender, religion, national origin, etc.)

The very fact that they took $1,900 proves that they are a public accomodation. They are so screwed!

When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will.

- Abraham Lincoln.


[ Parent ]
I believe you are correct
Once they start renting to the general public, they cease to be a private club and instead become a public accomodation.

They are very screwed.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même merde.


[ Parent ]
Funny you should mention the gender-based groups.
I was sad to see that Sonia Sotomayor felt compelled to quit an all-woman group, the Belizean Grove, recently after being a member for only one year.

[ Parent ]
Wait... I'm so confused
I thought this was illegal. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong here, but should there be someone serving them with a summons?

My dad was a steelworker
My mom was a kitchen girl
and that's why
I'm a socialist.
-from an old song I used to hum to myself


Oops ...
I meant to reply to DaveB's message but put it on the thread above ... still not used to the controls.  Sorry!

[ Parent ]
Why, it's right there in Rule #3!
(3) Pets are not permitted on club grounds

SLAP!

Ow!  Yeah, you're right, I deserved that.  Even I don't have enough cheek for my tongue to make that funny.

"If people let government decide which foods they eat and medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny." -- Thomas Jefferson


Well, I was simply pissed off
Then, I watched the video of those beautiful children and started to cry.

It made me think about the time I took my nieces and nephew to a playground when they were little. After we had been there for a few minutes my six-year-old nephew came up to me and asked, "Uncle Fritz, what's a banana?"

I replied, "You know what a banana is. Why are you asking me that?"

Then, he pointed at a man on the playground and said, "That man called me a banana."

The man he was pointing to was an older asian man with a child. Disbelief and then instant rage came over me.

You see, my nephew is biracial -- his mom is asian and his dad is white.

A grown man had called a six-year-old child a "banana" -- yellow on the outside and white on the inside. Calling asian/white people "banana" is a common racial slur in many asian communities.

Then, I looked at my nephew's face and my only thought was how in the hell was I going to explain it to him. You're given no choice but to destroy a little bit of a child's innocence when something like this happens.

That's what I thought when I saw those children in the video. Their parents are going to have to sit down and explain that there are monsters in the world -- monsters who look like normal people but who can hurt them with words and selfish actions.  

There aren't many things worse. Explaining a death in the family is about the only thing that is.

When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will.

- Abraham Lincoln.


A 4.0 post
Dena

Cisgender. Because "Genetic" (or non) is so 2006.

[ Parent ]
No
More like a 10!

Listen to "TransTalk" every Monday from 4-5pm ET on http://www.falconradio.org beginning January 11th!

[ Parent ]
I was called the n-word in 1st grade
I'm not even black but I was the darkest kid in the class (grew up Latino in an all-white rural town).  I'm sure just like your experience Fritz, my white (I was adopted) mother had no idea how to explain something like that to a child.  As someone who's never experienced racism against them (or practiced it) I'm sure it was very hard for her.  It was definitely something she didn't really think about before adopting me unfortunately and even more unfortunately something she shouldn't have had to consider.

Eventually the kids got their racial slurs right and started calling me s***, illegal, alien, and whatnot.  As a gay, Latino adoptee who happened to be intelligent, let's just say I didn't fit the mold and I matured quickly.


[ Parent ]
Racism exists
The actions of this organization simply stun me, beyond belief! A blistering e-mail has been sent to them, and I hope there is some legal redress that can be taken!

I look forward
to seeing how fast they get dragged through court.

I am the lizard queen!

Mornin' Joe & Mika
I will be watching Mornin' Joe to see how he Mika and the Bucanan + the rest of the "on air talent" talk this episode.

I am willing to bet the meme is private clubs can be segregated and as biased as they want. It's the American way.  Maybe a few of the religion rules not the Constitution people will chime in.

 However, the segregated "club" accepted payment from an outside group.  Sending back a check after the "club" members decided they did not want their precious pool water made different probably was not a good idea.  There are a lot of Progressive lawyers and paralegals ready to take on the "don't dirty MY pool water" lawyers in what sounds like a simple breach of contract case.

Pam,
J'aime ma Peau



Emotional distress
I don't think it will be difficult to argue for other damages. I suspect that pool will be out of business.

If I had billions like Oprah, I'd be buying those kids a pool of their own -- with a clear policy that all are welcome.

When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will.

- Abraham Lincoln.


[ Parent ]
Except the Valley Swim Club


Close the GayTM. Only give to candidates who have actually done something other than make promises - most are just pandering for our cash.

[ Parent ]
A dream
If I ever happen to be lucky enough to win the lottery, you can be sure one of my first items is to fly to Philly, buy that club, and take great pride when I publicly fire each and every one of the staff and make sure that their records show they were fired for being racist.

Listen to "TransTalk" every Monday from 4-5pm ET on http://www.falconradio.org beginning January 11th!

[ Parent ]
Update:
Campers "Complexion" No Problem for New Pool
U.S. Senator looking into accusations of racism

So the staff at Girard College, a private Philadelphia boarding school for children who live in low-income and single parent homes, stepped in and offered their pool.

"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.

"I'm so excited," camp director Alethea Wright exclaimed. There are still a few logistical nuisances like insurance the organizations have to work out, but it seems the campers will not stay dry for long.
Related Stories

The banning has caused so much controversy that U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) plans to launch an investigation into the discrimination claim.

"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."



Thank you for this breath of fresh air
I felt as if I was suffocating from news of the what that swim club did.

Girard College's kindness probably won't remove each kid's memory of how she or he was treated, but I hope it will lessen the pain.

If you want allies, you have to be an ally.


[ Parent ]
It's good that another club stepped up, but I want to see the bigoted club prosecuted.


[ Parent ]
There is a somewhat happy ending!
I'm glad to see lots of great folks stepped up and turned that frown upside down.  Yay!

Complexion No Problem for New Pool
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com...

Children should never be exposed to this level of bigotry and hatred.  It's just soooo wrong.


sad but not surprising
Seriously, this sort of thing goes on all of the time. Instead of using race as the criteria, money and social connections are the standards.  There might be a handful of token minorities at any club but you can be assured that they attend the right schools.  

It still happens with the lower middle class also.  My ex-husband and his boss used hand signals to discuss race in employment decisions.  When I sold my old house in a working class mostly white neighborhood, the neighbors asked me to not show it to blacks (this was 2001).  When I showed it to a black couple, the neighbors across the street trotted out the very loud metal grinders to work on their car project.  It was just plain awful and the couple didn't buy.


Absolutely disgusting!
I can't really think of any other word to say except disgusting.

I was getting
ready to defend this club. Saying something like maybe it was a mistake or misunderstanding (we had a similar incident in a nearby city, but it turned out the mother of the two boys used them to launch racial claims against organizations and businesses in an effort to launch civil suits) , I really didn't want to believe it. There was something just so disgusting, it was hard to believe.

I think I will go vomit now, if you need me I'll be kneeling over the toilet praying the humanity will eventually evolve past this crap.

nothing new at this time.....


allow me to take a nice lily white DUMP in their damn pool, then tell them I have AIDS.


"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner


It's ugly enough when this is done to adults, to do it to children, I hope buys a one way ticket to hell.


"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner


You've got to be kidding me ....
I'd expect this still in some parts of the deep South, but in Philly, it just boggles the mind.

I feel so bad for the little kids.

Back in the late 80's I lived in the northern burbs of Fulton County/Atlanta and back then MARTA the light-rail service went as far as Doraville, still North Fulton.

Everytime it was talked about going further and into the next County, Gwinnett, it was voted down.

The "hidden" reason .... "we don't what the downtown blacks having easy access to mass transit to come into the surronding neighborhoods of the train stations to break-in and commit crimes, then hop back on the train back to downtown Atlanta".

MARTA still doesn't go any further NE than Doraville, but there is now a North branch which goes for three stations to North Springs, North Fulton County but still not into Gwinnett County.

That's nothing boys and girls, while I lived down there I saw my one and only KKK meeting in Norcross. I went just to see what these idiots looked like and to join the anti-KKK protesters.

I love the Atlanta area and were it not for having an extended family in AZ, when the day comes for me to semi-retire, I'd move back to Atlanta in a heartbeat.

But unfortunately outside Fulton County/Atlanta, racism still goes on.

Go Braves !

Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar. - Edward R Murrow




It got even worse than that.
Right before one of the referenda in Gwinnett County that would determine whether or not the train would extend out to it, the Atlanta Constitution interviewed Gwinnett County residents.

One woman told the newspaper that she did not want the train extended out to Gwinnett County because she was afraid of "drive-by shootings."

!

The referendum for the train was defeated in a landslide.

There was one delicious side to this, however. The small business owners in Gwinnett — nearly all Republicans and all men who had encouraged racism their entire lives in order to keep the working class divided and weak — desperately wanted the train to be built out there so it could transport poor city kids to work for them for minimum wage. You see, the white upper-middle-class suburban kids couldn't be bothered to work unless wages were high. In the end, the businessmen reaped a financial price for the racism they had sown.


[ Parent ]
Appalled but not surprised
I lived in Philly for 12 years, and while this would not happen in most parts of town, I'm not surprised to hear that it happened in the northeast, which has long been known for being blatantly racist.  Most of my former students are African-American, and they didn't feel safe going to that part of the city.

Very glad to hear Girard College stepped in.  They've been doing good work for a long time.

Blogging my novel:  http://open.salon.com/blog/fir...


A Year Ago, I Would Have Been Outraged...
Now, all I can is,
Selfish black people. All they can think about is themselves. We've got far more important things on our plate right now.


The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

Anyone who sees the word "Club" and has visions of polo ponies
and blue bloods should take a look at the NBC video at the top of the diary where they show a little of the grounds and then the manager with a big stick in his hands who's threatening to call the police.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic


This is where Al Sharpton SHOULD be...

But the opportunistic asshole probably couldn't find a hotel room nearby that met his standards.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new...

and

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/...

and

From the 2004 campaign - FEC reports

The most prolific hotel spender in Al Sharpton, who prefers the Four Seasons and runs up an average bill of $3598.


Question:  What does an atheist do when they fall to the floor and start "speaking in tongues"?

Answer: Get a CAT scan.


Their Web Site Is Down
The club's web site is down.  I think something bad must've happened.

Yeah
People started to go on the site and give their opinions.

Bummer for them...

Click HERE and sign up: Campaign For Military Partners

Click here for DADT photobook


[ Parent ]
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