Derek Tacconelli Blog

Sixty-five campers arrived from Creative Steps Day Camp in Northwest Philadelphia to the Valley Swim Club in Huntington Valley, Pa., on June 29.

A win-win situation, right? The swim club earns $1,900 and kids in need of a pool get access.

So, where did it all go wrong?

The camp kids arrived and got into the pool. Valley Swim Club member and eyewitness Jan told talk radio host Michael Smerconish that the campers were behaving nicely and were well supervised:.

“We came in as the campers were there. I joined campers with my grandson [age 6]. The children were playing. It was very crowded. … It was important for me to watch him because there were so many children there. It was crowded, but there were at least two adult counselors. The pool had 2 lifeguards on either side of this area of the pool, which is only 3 feet deep. And there was also a supervisor who called these children out when it was time to leave. It was a very orderly dispensement. She called first for the female campers and then the male campers. It was so orderly and so well regulated both by the part of the staff of the camp and the pool, I knew of no problems.

The children were speaking so nicely with one another. They were conversing back and forth in such a nice manner. … I don’t think it would be a big problem that there were a lot of people there.”

And yet, the campers endured racist comments and were disinvited from the pool:

Camper Dymire Baylor told NBC:

“I heard this lady, she was like, ‘Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?’ She’s like, ‘I’m scared they might do something to my child.’ “

Continue reading Black Kids Kicked Out of Pool