The Issue
Throughout aquatics BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Colour) communities are consistently precluded. These barriers are often entrenched and complex, this often leaves communities without the necessary education in water safety and drowning prevention. This issue has led to
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95% of black adults and 80% of black children not being able to swim*.
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The risk of drowning being higher among “minority ethnic” communities *.
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1 in 4 children in the UK leaving primary school unable to swim*.
The BSA is here to change that.
Who We Are
The Black Swimming Association (BSA) is a non-profit organisation set up to:
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Highlight swimming as an essential and invaluable life-saving skill for all communities.
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Promote the education of BIPOC communities on water safety and drowning prevention measures.
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Ensure that the issues that preclude BIPOC communities from engaging in aquatics are understood and adequately addressed.
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Collaborate with national swim governing bodies, brands and other charities in order to drive participation, engagement and inclusion for BIPOC communities in aquatics.
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Support opportunities that make swimming more accessible for BIPOC communities.
It's Time To Change The Narrative
Our Mission
A Voice. A Trusted Partner. An Advocate.
©2019 by the Black Swimming Association
Research
The BSA is committed to fully unpacking the various issues that restrict BIPOC communities from accessing aquatics. We recognise that research in this area has already started, however we want to push towards an approach that comprehensively addresses the issues for BIPOC communities in aquatics. The BSA wants to collaborate with national swimming bodies, brands, and universities to produce targeted, accurate, and independent research on BIPOC communities and aquatics. Only by fully understanding all the problems BIPOC communities face in aquatics can we work to dismantle them. This in turn we believe, will drive forward more diversity, inclusion, participation, engagement and representation of BIPOCs in aquatics.
Education
Collaborating with national swimming bodies, brands, and charities, the BSA plans to run campaigns to equip BIPOC communities with the relevant aquatic skills and information. Through education we can raise awareness of water safety, drowning prevention measures, and the importance of learning how to swim. Ultimately, we aim to save lives, as well as encouraging and empowering BIPOC communities to engage with aquatics.
Advocacy
At the BSA, we are dedicated to understanding and addressing barriers that limit BIPOC communities from engaging with aquatics and water safety. We are open to working with brands, charities, and national swimming bodies to ensure that BIPOC communities are provided with a seat at the table. We want to work in partnership with institutions so that we can comprehensively tackle issues of diversity, inclusion, participation, engagement and representation in aquatics.
Support
One of the key objectives of the BSA is to promote opportunities to make swimming more accessible. We are aware that in BIPOC communities the reasons for not engaging in aquatics are varied and complex. The BSA therefore wants to collaborate with BIPOC swim charities, swim teachers and grassroots swimming clubs, in order to support and develop the amazing work that is already being done. By collaborating with us we can continue to empower BIPOC communities to take on swimming as an essential life skill.
