Some of you may remember an article that I wrote a couple of years ago regarding my belief that Philadelphia is truly The City of Brotherly Love. What a contrast compared to the current news in Huntington Valley, a Philadelphia Suburb. I am absolutely appalled by the actions of The Valley Swim Club.
Apparently, The Valley Swim Club signed a contract with The Creative Steps day camp located in Northeast Philadelphia. The agreement was that the children from the Creative Steps day camp could use the pool for one and a half hours once a week, in exchange for the sum of $1,950. The children arrived for their first pool day on June 29th.
What followed was cruel and heartless treatment of young children who were excited about the opportunity to swim in a pool after Philadelphia had closed down so many pools due to the lowered budget.
During their first visit, some children said they heard club members asking why African-American children were there. One child spoke about hearing a mother there saying that she feared the children “might do something” to her child. Some children said they heard club members make racial remarks as they escorted their own children away. Alethea Wright, the director of the Creative Steps day camp said several children told her they heard members of The Valley Club asking what blacks were doing there.
Four days later, the club refunded a $1,950 check and terminated the agreement allowing the Creative Steps children to swim there.
John Duesler, the club’s president has been quoted with the following statements: It was never our intention to offend anyone. This thing has been blown out of proportion. It was a safety issue. He said that the children had changed “the complexion” and “atmosphere” of the club.
After news reports of the incident, the office of Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pennsylvania) said Specter sent a letter to the club president asking him to reinstate the contract with Creative Steps, saying, “I think that you would agree that there is no place for racism in America today.”
While Duesler said that he appreciates the senator’s concern, the club’s board has yet to make a decision of how it will proceed.
Wright called it an “unfortunate situation,” and continued, “I know what happened. The members know what happened and a higher power knows what happened.”
The good news is that Gerard, a private Philadelphia boarding school has offered its pool for the kids at Creative Steps to use.
In my opinion, the only way that the Valley Swim Club could make things better would be to have every member of the board along with the president make a public apology and invite the kids back to swim as per the contract! Gratis! The problem with this idea is that it would be too little too late. Why? Because all of the children involved were taught a horrible lesson. I don’t mean just the kids who were turned away, I also mean the club members’ kids because all saw bigotry, prejudice, hatred and racism in action. As Americans, we voted in an African American president and yet, in some places racism still exists.
To those members of The Valley Swim Club who join me in my revulsion of this incident, please step up to the plate. Make your voice known by speaking out so that your children won’t grow up thinking that prejudice is acceptable anywhere! Remember that you are setting an example. If you remain silent, you will send the message to your kids that you agree with the way that that the children from the Creative Steps day camp were treated.
