Swim Team

Swim Team works to address a stereotype that Bree identifies: “Black people aren’t good at swimming” (78). Through Etta, the novel dispels misconceptions regarding the ability of Black people to swim by providing an overview of the systemic barriers that have led to fewer and fewer African Americans having access to public swimming facilities. Etta explains the difficulty of her experience growing up at a time when segregation was ended by law, but not necessarily in practice. In doing so, she highlights the lasting impacts of these systemic barriers.

When Etta relays her answer to Bree’s question about Black people and swimming, Christmas uses the medium of the graphic novel to tell a long history in a concise period of time, depicting the ways in which swimming, boating, diving, and other water-based activities have been a liberatory practice for Black people around the world. Etta reminds Bree that “Black people have always swum and always will” (81). In doing so, the author depicts that ability is not the issue, but that access to swimming was actually complicated by racism in the United States.

When public spaces like pools and beaches were segregated, Black folks had reduced access to them. After segregation, racism on the part of white people, who acted as guardians or administrators of pools, deterred Black people from swimming there, as Etta experiences. Moreover, since the law allowed pools or beaches to be separated by race, people turned to other means of separation, such as making public pools private. The novel points out that as a result, who has access to which resources affects people’s daily lives. As Etta says, “Lack of access meant fewer Black people swimming. So fewer Black people passed it down” (83). This reality comes to light through Ralph’s confession that he never learned to swim because no one ever taught him. Therefore, he was not able to pass down the skill to Bree, who is likewise afraid of pools. The novel highlights the way that systemic barriers have led to a collective anxiety that, in turn, has resulted in a persistent stereotype.

Christmas emphasizes that such barriers persist, often through defunding resources, when he notes that the superintendent is considering closing the Enith Brigitha swimming pool. The coach tells Etta, “Ours is the only free pool open to everyone in the community during non-school hours” (130). Given Etta’s history, this means something specific: that fewer people—likely Black people—will have access to a pool in their community, a reality that she does not want to see happen again. By winning the state championship, the swim team garners attention for the pool and makes it unlikely that it will close. In this way, Bree’s team’s victory ensures that future generations in her community will have free access to swimming facilities and can therefore join her in continuing the long tradition of Black swimming.