Crossing The Lane Lines
41 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 years ago -Crossing The Lane Lines is dedicated to giving voice to the Black Swim community. We connect with coaches, swimmers, authors and activists. Seeking to inform the public about the rich aquatic history of the Black diaspora.
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Episodes
Swimming with Sharks: How one non profit is changing the way marginalized communities see these creatures of the deep.
April 08, 2022 08:42 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBWhen many think about people in marine sciences, and in particular shark sciences, Black folk in general and Black women in particular are not the first that spring to mind, but there is a new organization that is striving to be seen and take up space in a discipline which has been largely inaccessible to minoritized communities. We'll speak to, Jasmine Graham, co-founder, president and CEO of Minorities in Shark Sciences, about their mission, programs, ecological racism, and their efforts to...
Swimming in the Heart of Motown: How Detroit All Star Aquatics are revising a Black Swim Tradition
March 25, 2022 11:33 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBDetroit was once know as the Motor City and the birthplace of MoTown, but it was also home to one of the most thriving Black swim communities in the country, where great swim legends like Robert "Bucky" Johnson, and Clyde James plied their trade. Notable swim coaches like Carl Edwards and Clarance Gatliffe paced the decks, but like so many other rich Black swimming traditions racism, access, and lack of interest began to erode this mecca of aquatic excellence. But one man is changing that for...
Not Treading Lightly: How Twin Sisters are Making a Difference in the Swimming Community
March 14, 2022 02:44 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBAs the swim community slowly begins to grapple with its legacy of racism too often those who are asked to speak about its impact on Black and Brown communities are usually adults. Most are sincere in trying to make access for learn to swim and competitive swimming more equitable and inclusive for young male, female, and non-binary youth. However, no one ever seems to ask these young people how they might envision their own future. On this episode we'll speak to twin sisters Brianna and Rachel...
The Nile Swim Club: The Oldest and Only Black-owned Pool
February 11, 2022 14:36 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBThe Nile Swim Club, located in Yeadon, PA is the oldest Black-owned pool in the country. Today on a special episode of Crossing The Lane Lines, we'll hear an interview of Anthony Patterson, the president of The Nile Swim Club conducted by Victoria Prizzia, the curator of the POOL exhibit in Philadelphia, about the founding and mission of the Nile Swim club and it's impact on the Black community specifically, and the broader community in general.
Trans-Continental Divide: How The Outcry over Trans Athletes is Something Much More Sinister
January 28, 2022 09:43 - 54 minutes - 50.8 MBLia Thomas, a trans female swimmer on the University of Pennsylvania's Women's Swim team, has caused quite an uproar not only in the swimming world, but amongst the general public as well. Many claim that opposing Thomas' participation in women's sports has nothing to do with her being a trans athlete. However, over the last ten years, multiple states have banned trans athletes from participating in sports alongside they're cis-gender counterparts. But what's really going on with these bans? ...
Endurance: A Conversation with Marathon Swimmer Carl Richards
January 14, 2022 10:13 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBPauline Jackson, Water Johnson, Willis Hanks, Charles Chapman, these are but a few of the accomplished marathon swimmers in the Black community, Though they are not as well known as their White counterparts such as Lynne Cox or Trudy Ederle, they were just as successful. Now we add one more name to this illustrious society of endurance athletes, Carl Richards. Richards, became the second person of African descent to cross the English Channel, and today he'll join us to talk about his successf...
Diversity in Aquatics: The Birthplace of DEI in the Swimming Community
December 24, 2021 11:07 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBSince last summer's uprisings concerning the lynching of George Floyd, Ahamad Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, a number of swim clubs, and swim organizations have tried to foster some form of inclusivity otherwise known as diversity, equity and inclusion, but before most had the thought of making this a goal, a non-profit, grassroots organization called Diversity in Aquatics, or DIA, had been hard at work on issues of social justice, education, and water safety within BIPOC communities. Today, on ...
The Forgotten: The Unacknowledged Black Female Swim Coach
December 10, 2021 11:56 - 1 hour - 82.4 MBWith the possible exception of Jim Ellis, and Anthony Nesty, most people in the swimming world wouldn’t be able to name one Black coach. If most Black male coaches are hardly known, what does that say about Black female coaches? Today we’ll speak to researcher, former collegiate swimmer, and elite level swim coach, Dr. Tiffany Monique Quash, about the challenges of being a Black female coach, the absence of LGBTQ+, and Queer representation in the coaching ranks, and the need for White coaches...
Diving in Rising Up: The Origin story of Black Girls Dive Foundation
November 26, 2021 14:03 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBIn 2013, a group of women who were attending the BLACK SCUBA DIVERS ASSOCIATION Annual Summit, got together to discuss the lack of representation of African American women in the Diving World, Marine Sciences, Oceanographic studies, and scientific diving. What was born from this conversation was the creation of the most comprehensive program challenging the narrative of Blacks in aquatics, and in particular Black girls and women in diving. We'll speak to Dr. Nevada Winrow the co-founder of B...
Can We Mandate Swimming in Public Schools?
November 12, 2021 11:48 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBIn the US the government has wide control over public schools. They require equal educational opportunities for pupils of different races and ethnicities, the length of the school year, and of course vaccinations, but what about mandating swimming? Why isn't this vital life-skill a requirement in public schools nationwide? We'll speak to Shawn Slevin, activist, swim coach, and the founder of Swim Strong, about how her organization has put forth two bills in the New York house and senate to ha...
Allies or Girl Bosses?: How White Female Swimmers Need to Speak Out
October 29, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBSince last summer's uprising after the lynching of George Floyd, many White people said that they would stand with Black and Brown folk to demand systemic change that imbrues this racist society. White female athletes like Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Paige Bueckers, have come to the defense of their fellow Black and Brown teammates often times facing harsh criticism from management and the press for being vocal allies, but where are White female swimmers in all of this? Why haven't they spo...
Tankproof : Helping Black Children Navigate Life's Currents
October 15, 2021 08:14 - 25 minutes - 23.9 MBWhen one thinks of reasons why Black children don’t swim, people say that they can’t afford lessons, and this is true somewhat, but a more practical reason involves another critical lifeskill; food. After all, if one is dealing with food scarcity swimming probably won’t be a top priority. Further, most swim programs that target underserved communities never look at this important need. Today we’ll be joined by the founders of Tankproof, Thurman and Torrance Thomas, to discuss their mission of...
DC Waves: African American Aquatic History in the District of Columbia
October 01, 2021 11:41 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBDC is home to The White House, The Washington Monument, and The MLK Memorial, everyone knows this, but what many don't know about is that its also home to some of the most vibrant Black aquatic programs in the country, and many were either founded or influenced by one man. Today, we'll speak to Lorn Hill, a 35-year employee of DC's Recreation and Parks, about the history of municipal pools, founding of an elite level swim club, Aqua Day Camp, and the Black History Invitational Swim Meet, whic...
Rising Tide: How Black People Desegregated Beaches and Pools in South Florida
September 17, 2021 10:56 - 30 minutes - 28.6 MBNOTE: Apologies for the brief audio distortion. From seaweed to lost beach balls, sun-seekers bump into all sorts of surprises swimming along Florida’s iconic beaches. For Black swimmers however, there’s a complex history floating off Florida’s coastline – one of segregation and violence, but also one of protest and resistance. Diving deep into Black Florida’s fight for the right to swim, we'll speak to award winning filmmaker Cathleen Dean about the segregated beaches and pools of South Flor...
POOL: A Celebration of Blacks in Aquatics, a Mourning of our Struggles, and Our Hope for the future.
September 03, 2021 07:26 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBAccess to water for fun isn’t a privilege, and learning how to swim is a basic life skill. Both were denied to Black Americans through centuries of slavery and discrimination. That legacy is the focus of a daring new exhibit: POOL: A Social History of Segregation which opens Sept. 3, at the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center and runs through August 2022. Today we’ll speak to the curator of the exhibit, artist and avid swimmer Victoria Prizzia, about this amazing presentation on Black a...
"I'm not here to make friends." in Conversation with Drs. Johanna Mellis and Derek Silva
July 30, 2021 16:20 - 1 hour - 94 MBOn a special episode of Crossing The Lane Lines, I'll be interviewed by the co-hosts of the podcast The End of Sport about my swim journey, the impetus for creating Crossing The Lane Lines, my ongoing frustration with USA Swimming, and a brief history of Blacks in America and the broader Black diaspora about our relationship to aquatics, and the challenges that we still face in the 21st Century.
“Next Question “: Media, race bias, and the attack on Black bodies.
July 16, 2021 10:15 - 34 minutes - 32.4 MBOn July 17th, at a press conference after she failed to make the 100m finals at the Olympic Trials, Simone Manuel, was grilled by journalists concerning her medical diagnosis of Overtraining syndrome. Many framed their questions as if to question whether The diagnosis really exists. All elite athletes have to answer questions about their performance, it's part of their job, but when do theses questions go too far, and are less about performance, and more about race and gender. We'll speak to ...
The Word that is never spoken in swimming: Talkin’ ‘bout "Whiteness" Part Two of Two
July 02, 2021 10:49 - 51 minutes - 48.1 MBThe crawl stroke or freestyle, is one of the most technically challenging strokes to master. Both the United States, and Australia claim to have improved it over the last 100 years, but who founded it, and why is it so important to discuss its origins concerning the subject of "Whiteness"? In part two of our two part series on the subject, we'll speak to Dr. Matt Hodler, a former D1 swimmer, history professor, and swim scholar, about the origins of the stroke, and the need to honor it's indig...
The word that is never spoken of in swimming: Talkin' 'bout “Whiteness.” Part One of Two
June 18, 2021 10:46 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MBSimone Manuel, is regarded as one of the best freestylers in the World. However, far too often she is referred to as the best Black swimmer in the World. Her Blackness is constantly put front and center, while at the same time you never hear someone define Katie Ledecky by her Whiteness. Why is that? In part one of a two-part series, we'll speak to former collegiate volleyballer, volleyball coach, and social justice educator, Jen Fry, about the reason why swimmers like Simone are defined by t...
A Meet of Their Own: Highlighting The National Black Heritage Championship Swim Meet.
June 04, 2021 09:07 - 51 minutes - 47.6 MBMany Black swimmers have had to deal with being the only one at their meets that look like them. They've experienced isolation, ridicule, and racism. A foreigner in a foreign land, but on the Memorial Day weekend they get the opportunity to experience swimming from a Black perspective at the National Black Heritage Championship Swim Meet. Today we'll speak to one of the lead organizers, Lisa Webb, about the triumphs, challenges, and the afro-centric beauty of this extraordinary swimming event.
"Hopefully we treat everyone like their scorers": A Conversation with Coach Malachi Cunningham
May 21, 2021 11:06 - 57 minutes - 53.2 MBIn his more than 40 years of coaching, he built an elite age group swim program in North Philadelphia from the ground up, produced two junior national finalists, helped countless athletes get swim scholarships to prestigious colleges and universities. He was the first man of African descent to coach swimming in the NCAA: First at Temple University, then later at LaSallae. He was not only a swim coach, but a father figure, mentor, and friend to many young men and women that swam for him, and h...
Diving in deep: One Man’s High Diving Career
May 07, 2021 08:09 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBMost people have done cannonballs, somersaults, and jumped off of springboards into a pool, lake or bay, but not many I’ll wager have ever attempted to jump off a 100ft cliff, executing a perfect dive. Today we’ll speak to former professional high diver, Chip Humphrey, about his extraordinary career.
Does USA Swimming Have a Racism Problem? A Conversation with Dr. Johanna Mellis
April 23, 2021 08:34 - 40 minutes - 37.7 MBMany individuals in the swimming world condemned Olympian Klete Keller’s active participation in the insurrection at our Nation’s capital on January 6th. However, USA Swimming’s tepid response to a former member’s actions, that many considered seditious, were met with disillusionment and anger within the Black swim community. After last summer’s protests concerning the lynching of George Floyd, and a country divided, one wonders if USA Swimming is really serious about addressing issues in ho...
Invisible Men: The Untold Stories of Elite Black Swimmers and Coaches of the 40s thru the 60s
April 09, 2021 11:43 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBIf you mention names like: Doc Counsilman, and Mark Spitz, your probably going to have a number of people in the swim community that have heard of them. Powerhouse swim programs like Indiana University, and The University of Texas would be familiar to many who follow swimming as well, but what about names like Clarance Pendelton, or Malachi Cunningham, and swim programs from Historically Black Colleges like, Howard University, or Morgan State, would these names be on anyone's radar? We'll spe...
Treading Water in the Deep End: How Black Water Polo Players are Changing the Game
March 26, 2021 10:23 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MBOver the last 116 years, only two Black men have made the Olympic roster in water polo, or 1.27%. On the women's side it's not much better. In the last 16 years, only one Black woman has made the Olympic roster, which comes to about 2.4%. Today we'll be joined by two guests, former men's national team member, and 2007 Pan American gold medal winner, Genai Kerr, and current women's national team member, and current Olympic gold medalist, Ashleigh Johnson, about how they are determined and succ...
Flip Turn: Challenging USA Swimming From the Bottom Up
March 12, 2021 10:22 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBLast summer USA Swimming was called out for not only it's slow response to speak on the lynching of George Floyd, but also it's failure to acknowledge that Black Lives Matter. This all came about mainly as a result of a social media post that went viral, calling out the need for USA Swimming to listen to members of the Black swim community, and take their lead from them. Today, we'll speak to Noelle Singleton, a former competitive swimmer, elite level swim coach, and the author of the post th...
Dancing on The Water: How One Coach is Propelling Inclusion in Synchronized Swimming
February 26, 2021 11:23 - 31 minutes - 29 MBOver its history the sport of competitive swimming has not been a bastion of inclusiveness for Black folk, and if we're talking about synchronized swimming it's even less so, but one woman is making a tremendous difference in how the sport is seen and who is being seen in it. Today we'll speak to Ashley Johnson, an elite level synchronize swim coach about how she is making the sport more inclusive not only for young Black women, but also welcoming for other marginalized groups.
Separate, but unequal: Life as a Black Swimmer during Jim Crow
February 12, 2021 11:59 - 20 minutes - 19.3 MBThe Jim Crow era is considered one our nation's darkest times. The "so called" separate, but equal, may have been seen as egalitarian by White folk, but Black people knew, and lived the real story. Jobs, housing, education and yes, swimming were far inferior in Black neighborhoods, but through it all, Black people found a way to rise up. Today, we'll hear from someone who grew up in segregated Tallahassee, FL, went on to an Ivy league school, joined their swim team, and made folks take notice.
From Mexico City to Minneapolis: The Rise of the Activist Athlete
January 29, 2021 12:43 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBOn January 6th, 2021, a 6 foot 6 inch former US Olympic multi-medal winning swimmer, Klete Keller, took part in the violent insurrection on our Nation's Capital. Like many in the crowd, he was allowed to leave the building following the devastation that claimed the lives of five people. Many athletes of color, and people of color in general, clearly saw the double standard with how a White mob is treated as it storms Congress, and how Black and Brown protestors are received during Black Lives...
"If the top kids can't go, how can you deem it a championship?": A conversation with the mother of an elite age group swimmer.
January 16, 2021 01:31 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBThe challenges of elite Black swimmers has been well-documented on this show, but what about the challenges that face their parents. We'll speak to activist and mother of an elite age-group swimmer, Melanie Hinson, about the hardships of; equipment, travel, lodging, registration fees, and whether or not their child feels safe on a pool deck surrounded by children that don't look like them.
Finding Our Own Way Back Home: HBCU’s and the need for more swim programs.
January 01, 2021 13:24 - 30 minutes - 28.5 MBMany Historical Black Colleges and Universities had established swim programs, a place where young Black men and women could attend not only to compete, but feel like they were not aliens in a sport that has been dominated by Whites. But over the last several decades, all but one have dropped their programs. So, what happens to those that wish to continue on in their swimming career, and have an opportunity to not feel out of place? We’ll speak to NCAA Swim Coach Nate Harding, about the need ...
BLACKS CAN'T SWIM: MY SWIM JOURNEY. A Conversation with filmmaker Ed Accura
November 20, 2020 19:09 - 29 minutes - 27 MBBlack people have many excuses why we don't swim; hair issues, body type, bone density, parents never learned, chlorine burns the eyes and many more, but who in their right mind walks around in, eats, sleeps, and bathes, with a life vest on? We'll speak to filmmaker, Ed Accura, about his acclaimed film on the subject of Black culture issues with swimming and The black swimming Association.
Muhammad Speaks: Making the case for diversity, inclusion and equity in the sport of swimming.
November 06, 2020 14:20 - 27 minutes - 25 MBUSA Swimming recently announced the formation of a Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Council to address and find solutions to the lack of participation of Black, Brown and other marginalized communities within the swimming world, but will this work? Will those at the regional and local levels be willing to adapt to change? Further, would any of this have occurred if we were not in the midst of a once in a life-time global pandemic, and in the middle of the country struggling with its history of...
California Dreaming: Coastal Leisure Spots and the Quest for Human Dignity in the Jim Crow Era.
October 23, 2020 12:40 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBBetween 1915 and 1970, nearly six million African Americans fled the Jim Crow South in search of a better life in the North. The vast majority found solace along the East Coast and Mid-West, but some ventured farther to the sands and sun of California. Today we'll speak to historian, Dr. Alison Rose Jefferson, about the great migration westward, and how some Black families, even though racism awaited them, settled along the Californian coastline, and built up beach-side business', leisure spo...
Making Waves: Black surfers and demand for inclusion and diversity in the water
October 09, 2020 13:32 - 29 minutes - 27 MBSince May of this year, various sports bodies have spoken out about the need to address systemic racism. The NFL, NBA, and even USA Swimming have uttered the phrase: “Black Lives Matter.” But while this “so called” solidarity is going on, where is the surf community? Why have they largely remained silent on the issue of racism and privilege? We’ll speak to surfer and coach, Rhonda Harper about the lack of diversity in the line-up,
"I'm proud to be the first, but I don't want to be the last.": A Conversation with Maritza McClendon
September 25, 2020 11:49 - 29 minutes - 27 MBIn 2004, Maritza McClendon became the first African American woman to make an Olympic team, but with this triumph came the burden of representing an entire community. Today, in her own words, she'll talk about her swimming career, the rewards, accolades, and yes the racism that she endured.
A Strong Current: How Black people ruled the sea for 400 years.
September 11, 2020 08:43 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBFrom 1445 to 1880, Black people were regarded as the best swimmers, and canoe builders in the world. How did this happen, and how did it change so dramatically? Dr. Kevin Dawson will join us to explain.
The Stereotype Effect
August 28, 2020 11:05 - 24 minutes - 22.9 MBTaking on stereotypes like the age old one that “Blacks can’t swim,” is challenging enough, but how does one take on this issue when the subject believes it themselves? We’ll speak with Bruce Wigo, former head of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, about this very thing.
Stirring up Trouble: Swimming Pools and the movement for Civil Rights
August 14, 2020 04:21 - 29 minutes - 27.5 MBLunch counter sit-ins, marches, boycotts, they all were effective for Blacks to demand their equal rights in the US, and moving forward with integrating public spaces, but what about pools? How were they integrated? Will speak to Dr. Jeff Wiltse, about the history of bath houses, swimming pools, and their place in the Civil Rights movement, and the violent history for equal access.
Black Kids Swim, and swim well!
July 29, 2020 21:18 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBGoogle the words: “Blacks and swimming”, and you mostly see stats on drowning rates, but over the last several years, Ebony Rosemond, has changed that for the better.
Welcome to Crossing The Lane Lines!
July 22, 2020 23:20 - 38 seconds - 616 KBWelcome to the Crossing The Lane Lines podcast. A show which highlights the struggles, triumphs, and forward movement of the Black Swim community. Please join us beginning in August 2020 as we highlight the voices of coaches, swimmers, authors and activists, who make waves in the pool, on the deck, and in open water.