FranchiseWorks.com:
Every year around this time, Rita Goldberg’s thoughts turn to pools and beaches, but not the kind of “fun-in-the-sun†visions that fill most people’s heads as the spring and summer break seasons roll in. Instead, the former competitive swimmer, children’s author, lifelong swimming educator and founder of a growing swim school franchise, turns her attention to alarming statistics showing rates of fatal drowning among African American children notably higher than other populations.
In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the fatal drowning rate of African American children ages 5 to 14 is more than three times that of white children in the same age range. The CDC notes that factors such as the physical environment, access to swimming pools, and a combination of social and cultural issues, including wanting to learn how to swim and choosing recreational water-related activities, may contribute to the racial differences in drowning rates.
“The rate of drowning among African American is tragic, yet preventable,†said Goldberg, who noted that among the general population, nearly 40 percent of U.S. adults don’t know how to swim, and drowning is the leading cause of death among children under five years old. “Changing the statistics begins with changing the mindset of a fear of the water, and it starts with education.â€