Glad I checked my RSS feeds tonight and tuned into the Jack & Jill Politics coverage of the Valley Swim Club incident. I found Cheryl Contee's post with the video above ("Hi, my name is Elon James White and I'm broadcasting from 1952..."), and I found the ColorOfChange.org call for letters asking Attorney General Eric Holder to
investigate whether the Valley Club violated federal civil rights laws when it kicked out a group of children from the Creative Steps Day Camp and canceled the camp's contract.
Please sign the ColorOfChange.org petition to Attorney General Holder now. You can also send a letter to the Valley Swim club via the same petition page at Color of Change.
To recap, the Valley Swim Club, a private swim club that advertises open membership, accepted over $1900 from the Creative Steps Day Camp so their campers could have a place to go swimming this summer.
"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.
One of the most astounding of many astounding moments in this story was the public statement from John Duesler, president of the Valley Swim Club, which said:
"There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club."
As the ColorOfChange.org letter to Holder notes, canceling the Creative Steps Day Camp's contract
after learning that the children at the camp were largely African-American and Latino [is] a possible violation of section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866.
I was pleased to learn via a commenter at Jack & Jill Politics, named Miranda, that while we are waiting for appropriate response from the Department of Justice, a local Philadelphia college has come forward to offer the Creative Steps kids space in its pool.
[T]he staff at Girard College, a private Philadelphia boarding school for children who live in low-income and single parent homes, stepped in and offered their pool.
"We had to help," said Girard College director of Admissions Tamara Leclair. "Every child deserves an incredible summer camp experience."
The school already serves 500 campers of its own, but felt they could squeeze in 65 more – especially since the pool is vacant on the day the Creative Steps had originally planned to swim at Valley Swim Club.
"I'm so excited," camp director Alethea Wright exclaimed. There are still a few logistical nuisances -- like insurance -- the organizations have to work out, but it seems the campers will not stay dry for long.
NBC Philadelphia also reports that US Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) will investigate the discrimination claim.
"The allegations against the swim club as they are reported are extremely disturbing," Specter said in a statement. "I am reaching out to the parties involved to ascertain the facts. Racial discrimination has no place in America today."
If you haven't already headed over to ColorOfChange.org, please go now and ask Attorney General Holder to investigate possible violations of federal civil rights laws by the Valley Swim Club.
Oh, lastly, kudos to the owners of Gumdrops & Sprinkles in Wayne, PA who gave the Creative Steps kids a free day of candy and ice cream making while they are waiting for all the the details with Girard College to be worked out. If you want to show Gumdrops & Sprinkles some love for showing the Creative Steps kids some love, click on the store photo and leave Gumdrops & Sprinkles a comment on their Yelp page.
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