Swim Poll of the Week: Do You Think There is Enough Social Awareness & Acceptance in Your Team?

swim-poll

This is the Swim Poll of the Week for Wednesday June 10, 2020, sponsored by Strechcordz Swim Training Products. In our last poll, we wanted to know: Do you think there is enough social awareness and acceptance in your swim team?

The death of George Floyd at the end of May caused national outrage in the United States and has sparked numerous conversations about police brutality and systemic racism in the country. Olympic gold medalist Simone Manuel has been one of the leading voices in the swimming community in sharing her experiences of being a black swimmer in a predominantly white sport. She posted this to Instagram two weeks ago:

“Days feel heavy and long. It’s hard not to feel or think about the sadness and hatred that weighs heavily on me, my people, and this nation. I’m hurt. I’m tired. We’re hurt. We’re tired. I think it’s always hard to find the right words as they are as scattered and divided as this country. There’s too much to say, but not nearly enough time or energy to express this sad reality. We’re not all in this together!! How far have we really come? Times change. Calendar dates change, but racism still remains. If we want a better country, we ALL must fight for equality and justice. No one escapes the bonds of injustice. No one! It doesn’t matter what side you’re on. We all lose when we fail to address the root of the problem. Here goes:

THE PAST STILL LIVES IN THE PRESENT!
This is generational.
It’s not just about death.
It’s about killing our spirits.
It’s about killing our dreams.
It’s about making us feel less than.
It’s about dismissing and ignoring our pain.
It’s about silencing our voice.
It’s about punishing us when we use our voice and labeling us as “angry” or a “threat” rather than acknowledging we’re exercising our “freedom of speech.”
It’s about calling the police and using my skin color against me.
It’s about clinching your purse.
It’s about believing we don’t belong.
It’s about failing to acknowledge and understand my very existence, my pain.
It’s about repeating the sins of the past.
It’s about thinking that skin color affords ones privileges or denies basic human dignity!
It’s about speaking against instead of with our fight for justice.
It’s about remaining silent.
This needs to be everybody’s fight! •

The words “freedom”, “justice,” and “equality” are uttered by many, BUT do we really experience it? No! We have yet to experience it collectively as a nation, and we won’t until we all come together and fight for it… until we’re actually “all in this together.”

If this makes you uncomfortable, check your privilege. Think of those who lack comfort EVERY??SINGLE?? DAY??

Many other swimmers in the United States used their voice to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Olympian Cullen Jones has been one of the world’s most influential swimmers, who happens to be African-American. He has broken down barriers in the sport, inspiring a generation of young swimmers. He posted this on Instagram:

“I have loved this country from the day I learned the star spangled banner, to the day I was blessed enough to stand atop the Olympic podium to recite it before the world. But enough is enough. For years I have kept my personal thoughts and convictions to myself. I must stand for what I believe in. As a Black man in America, I have dealt with my share of harassment. As a swimmer, I have always prided myself on breaking stereotypes and being a role model for others to do the same. But I cannot be quiet anymore.

“As a new father, I am continually thinking about how to raise my Indian/Black son, in this America. I don’t want him to have to fear the people who are meant to protect. I don’t want to have to teach him that it is his duty to linguistically disarm those same people by being calm and following directions so that the person with the gun feels more comfortable. Just because of the color of his skin.

“For all creeds, religions, and backgrounds protesting, the hurt is real. But the way we achieve justice is yes action, but through peace, communication and most important, at the polls. I pray for the families who have lost loved ones at the hands of racism. Enough is enough we need to do better for the next generation.”

Olympian Lia Neal took to her YouTube channel to deliver her message and talk about how this is mentally and emotionally affecting people.

“I love the fact that social media is so powerful that it can bring things to light,” Neal said.

“More people are exposed to these uncomfortable things and happenings. They need to be. I need to be. We need to be in order to do something about it. … We feel so much hate in the world and it is inexcusable. We are being forced to face reality, and the reality is that everything is a mess and there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. We will get past this. Progress will be made, it is just a really (hard) time right now.”

So for the swim poll, the question remains: Do you think there is enough social awareness and acceptance in your swim team?

We asked for the swim poll and you answered with…

Here are the swim poll answers:

Yes – 65%

No – 35%


ONE IN THOUSAND

 

 

Show how special you are and become a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s “One In A Thousand” Club. Help keep the International Swimming Hall of Fame moving forward toward a new vision and museum by joining now!

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