Mercedes ([info]mercedes600) wrote in [info]blackfolk,
2009-07-08 13:25:00
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Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion"

  Campers sent packing after first visit to swim club


More than 60 campers from Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from a private swim club and left to wonder if their race was the reason.

"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,'" said camper Dymire Baylor.

The Creative Steps Day Camp paid more than $1900 to The Valley Swim Club. The Valley Swim Club is a private club that advertises open membership. But the campers' first visit to the pool suggested otherwise.
 
"When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool," Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. "The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately."
 
The next day the club told the camp director that the camp's membership was being suspended and their money would be refunded.
 
"I said, 'The parents don't want the refund. They want a place for their children to swim,'" camp director Aetha Wright said.
 
Campers remain unsure why they're no longer welcome.
 
"They just kicked us out. And we were about to go. Had our swim things and everything," said camper Simer Burwell.
 
The explanation they got was either dishearteningly honest or poorly worded.
 
"There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club," John Duesler, President of The Valley Swim Club said in a statement.

While the parents await an apology, the camp is scrambling to find a new place for the kids to beat the summer heat.

Source
 

Please Pass This Along To Anyone you can.


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  • 41 comments

[info]littleeva

July 8 2009, 17:31:21 UTC 2 years ago

Sounds like a law$uit waiting to happen. I hope those parents sue the fuckers and wind up OWNING the fucking place.

[info]kstone20059

July 8 2009, 17:52:15 UTC 2 years ago

sounds about right to me

[info]mane115

2 years ago

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[info]recumbentgoat

July 8 2009, 17:33:18 UTC 2 years ago

fucking sue their asses. smh

[info]luvleelocs

July 8 2009, 17:33:47 UTC 2 years ago

That's crazy but not really unbelievable. There are still places in philly and outside that have unspoken rules. I was not welcomed to many events at country clubs when I was in high school my best friend had a graduation party and the 5 of us that were minorities were not invited.

[info]karnythia

July 8 2009, 17:38:45 UTC 2 years ago

Jesus take the wheel. I'm...they...somebody pick up my casings. I'm fixing to leave a trail of bullets across half of America.

[info]zenlari

July 8 2009, 17:41:01 UTC 2 years ago

From your casings we shall make a statue in your honor...

[info]dyvinesweetness

July 8 2009, 17:55:59 UTC 2 years ago

All this woulda been solved if their mama's didn't name them Dymire and Simer.

/Cosby

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[info]thewayoftheid

2 years ago

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[info]deedee_dancer

2 years ago

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[info]richirch2

July 8 2009, 18:02:03 UTC 2 years ago

"When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool,

I LOL'd at that.

[info]dragonknight337

July 8 2009, 22:00:16 UTC 2 years ago

Maybe they're channers and thought the pool was closed. >__>

[info]kittikattie

July 8 2009, 18:04:35 UTC 2 years ago

BROWN PEOPLE OH NOES they might give my child the black.

[info]cumaeansibyl

July 8 2009, 18:05:24 UTC 2 years ago

They were darker after spending all day at the pool, that's the only possible explanation!

[info]nepthys_12

2 years ago

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[info]thewayoftheid

July 8 2009, 18:08:36 UTC 2 years ago

Oh yeah, as soon as I saw this I made sure it got tweeted.

[info]thewayoftheid

July 8 2009, 18:13:24 UTC 2 years ago

New and improved Post-Racial America™! Same rancid smell and bitter aftertaste as the old one!

[info]richirch2

July 8 2009, 18:46:51 UTC 2 years ago

But their parents voted for Obama!

[info]myblackass

2 years ago

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[info]cognative

July 8 2009, 18:26:55 UTC 2 years ago

They're being pretty upfront about it too.
Like, okay damn...that's some racist shit.

[info]prosepixie14

July 8 2009, 18:37:44 UTC 2 years ago

NE Philly. Not surprised.

[info]mane115

July 8 2009, 18:41:18 UTC 2 years ago

Goddammit WHY do I continue to read the comments knowing that I'll be fuming for the rest of the day.

Next person that tells me "we have a black president so racism is over" will be directed to this article with a swift kick to the eyebrow.

[info]littledrummrboy

July 8 2009, 18:44:03 UTC 2 years ago

You and me both. I know better. But I just had to take a little peek.

[info]neonix25

2 years ago

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[info]the_zedster

2 years ago

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[info]luvleelocs

July 8 2009, 19:05:03 UTC 2 years ago

if anyone wants to contact them

info@thevalleyclub.com
or
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 134, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006

Club Phone Number:

215-947-0700

[info]mercedes600

July 8 2009, 20:21:25 UTC 2 years ago

I emailed and I called. I got hung up on. I didn't blast the person I was talking to...

[info]flutterbychild

2 years ago

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[info]nepthys_12

July 8 2009, 19:07:39 UTC 2 years ago

And yet another article for the post-racial society my black ass archives.

[info]xayeidemon

July 8 2009, 19:11:49 UTC 2 years ago

It's a private club, so they'll probably use that as an excuse to legitimize their racist policy. Still, the camp paid its money, and the club took their money, so I'd say a lawsuit is definitely in order.

[info]neonix25

July 8 2009, 19:19:01 UTC 2 years ago

Breach of contract. Throw in some sad babies, some angry negros and voila.

Somebody gonna pay off their student loans, get their cousin's car off the pound lot, and buy some rims, courtesy of racist ass whitefolks.

[info]acidcookiegirl

2 years ago

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[info]littledrummrboy

2 years ago

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[info]littleeva

2 years ago

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[info]bellarisa

July 8 2009, 19:22:11 UTC 2 years ago Edited:  July 8 2009, 19:22:23 UTC

I'm 'bout to be a widow

My husband just read the article and said " well, in North Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground's where they spent most of their days..."

[info]bottledgoose

July 8 2009, 19:39:22 UTC 2 years ago

Re: I'm 'bout to be a widow

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

Give the Hobbit a cookie before you kill him, k?

*finishes dying*

[info]lula_neith

2 years ago

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[info]via_85

July 8 2009, 20:14:31 UTC 2 years ago

This doesn't shock me ... I hope they can get a lawsuit going though.

[info]jadedone2many

July 8 2009, 21:58:05 UTC 2 years ago

I am ready to stab a bitch

White people are sick and tired of having lowclass ghetto trash pushed onto us, that's why we start private clubs like that. Blacks have their own clubs, why is that OK but not for us to have ours? And the club is not in NE Philly, its in Montgomery County, PA which is near NE Philly.

I KNOW BETTER than to read the comments, but damn!!!!!!

[info]kelleah

July 8 2009, 22:13:12 UTC 2 years ago

"When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool," Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email.

That's some 1962 horseshit, right there! I'm having flashbacks to the Dorothy Dandridge story when the Las Vegas hotel actually had the pool cleaner drain the pool after Dorothy stuck her foot in the water in front of white hotel guests.

"There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club," John Duesler, President of The Valley Swim Club said in a statement.

LOL!! That muthafucka's bold. I'll give him that.

[info]acidcookiegirl

July 9 2009, 04:52:05 UTC 2 years ago

If anything the Black folk should have gotten out the pool.

Last summer, I went to my cousin's where she's got a pool (her inlaws are white). The black relatives for the most part, all took showers after being in the water. The white relatives as my cousin put it "they think just because water hit them they're clean."

Anyway, off topic rant, I know...but I'm just sayin'.
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