ABOUT US
Diversity on Deck is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit aquatics organization founded and directed by young people, for young people.
Committed to equitable practices, like offering free swim lessons, Diversity on Deck volunteer instructors—our Swim Mentors™—work to prevent the fatal drownings and water competence disparities that plague historically marginalized communities. Moreover, our Swim Mentors are also accessible role-models for the younger populations they serve.
Our Swim Mentors know, firsthand, the challenges that many Black and Brown youth encounter when trying to navigate predominantly white aquatic spaces. Far too often—and for various reasons—swim lesson opportunities are not readily available in underserved communities. Moreover, even when resources are available to underrepresented youth, aquatic spaces often feel uninviting and exclusive.
Steered by its founder’s vision of championing S.E.A.² (Safety and Security, Equity and Equality, Access and Acceptance), Diversity on Deck volunteers use their knowledge to address these challenges in aquatic spaces. By sharing what they have learned in and out of the water, our Swim Mentors strive to preserve lives while propelling them forward.
Safety and Security
We are teaching life-saving swim skills to foster well-being, temper fears, and combat fatal drowning rates in vulnerable communities.
Equity and Equality
We are equalizing opportunity by disseminating knowledge about water-related activities, diversifying representation, and defying racial myths.
Access and Acceptance
We are welcoming, with open arms, other underrepresented youth into the wide world of aquatics.
“Learning to Swim is a Human Right.”
-Tiffany M. Quash, Ph.D.
Transforming Thoughts into Action:
How Diversity on Deck Began
by Kendall Carpenter
In 2016, Simone Manuel won the 100-meter freestyle, becoming the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming. I was 9 years old when that happened, but it wasn’t until I joined a USA Swimming team shortly after that I truly understood why Manuel’s win was so impactful: the sport of swimming, like many other aquatic sports and activities in the U.S., is not racially diverse—something I have felt and continue to experience first-hand.
Research and Resources of Interest
Ted Talks and Websites:
“Learning to Swim is a Human Right” TEDx talk by Dr. Tiffany M. Quash
POOL: A Social History of Segregation
Books:
Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America by Jeff Wiltse (The University of North Carolina Press, 2008)
Undercurrents of Power: Aquatic Culture in the African Diaspora by Kevin Dawson (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018)
Articles:
Bailey, G. (2021, August 12). Below the Surface: America’s Lasting Legacy of Racial Disparities in Swimming. Simmons University. https://www.simmons.edu/news/below-surface-americas-lasting-legacy-racial-disparities-swimming.
Beale-Tawfeeq, A. K., & Anderson, A., & Ramos, William D. (2018). A cause to action: Learning to develop a culturally responsive/relevant approach to 21st century water safety messaging through collaborative partnerships. International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education, 11(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.11.01.08/
Blagrove, M. (2022, August 15). Increasing cultural diversity within outdoor swimming for positive change within communities. Sport and dev.org. https://www.sportanddev.org/en/article/news/increasing-cultural-diversity-within-outdoor-swimming-positive-change-within
Cuker, B. (2020, August). George Floyd and aquatic science. Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, 1-2. https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10282529
Green, G. (2021). Swimming for life: the emergency of teaching black children to swim. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. 4(2), 291-295. https://opastpublishers.com/open-access/swimming-for-life-the-emergency-of-teaching-black-children-to-swim.pdf
Robertson, C. (2022, July 4). ‘Swimming wasn’t for us.’ The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/04/us/segregation-nile-swim-club.html
Shinn, P. (2020, August 6). The deep end: the history of pool access for black Americans & what team USA athletes are doing to get more kids of color in the cool. Team USA. https://www.teamusa.org/news/2020/august/06/history-of-pool-access-for-blacks-what-athletes-are-doing-to-get-more-kids-of-color-into-the-pool
Organizations:
Blacks in Marine Science
Black Kids Swim
Black Girls Dive Foundation
www.blackgirlsdivefoundation.org
Diversity in Aquatics
Mahogany Mermaids
Minorities in Aquaculture
Minorities in Aquarium and Zoo Sciences
Minorities in Shark Sciences