Private Pool Club Kicks Out Minority Kids Who Might "Change The Complexion" (VIDEO)

A potentially upsetting story coming out of Philadelphia: a group of 60 young campers, many of them minorities, were told to leave a private swimming club apparently because of their race.

Some of the disheartening details:

"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 Creative Steps Day Camp's membership was suspended by the swimming club and the money they paid to join was refunded.

Watch a report from NBC Philadelphia.

Comments

[ghtrains]

Great to see that people have come forward to help these kids. No one - adult or child - should be treated with such disrespect.

[as if]

who came forward to help the kids? have i missed a news update?

[TreadingWater]

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Campers-Complexion-No-Problem-for-New-Pool.html

[Christopher in NYC]

As you may know, Six Flags filed for bankruptcy. For my old neighbors who reside in NorCal, you might be able to relate...

The one I used to go to, (wasn't owned by Six Flags at the time) as a kid was like the, "Disneyland of Northern California" a paradise for those of us with parents who couldn't afford the trek down to Anaheim. As Silicon Valley became more affluent, EVERYONE started going to the Magic Kingdom and my favorite amusement park was forgotten. So the owners sold out to Six Flags, who pushed ticket prices down so that more locals would come to the park.

What resulted was that the park evolved into a hangout for gangbangers and wannabe gangsta's. SIx Flags retaliated by hiring more security and jacking the prices back up in order to try and freeze out the undesireables. (And to compensate for the increased security costs.) However, the damage to the park's reputation was done, and middle'/upper class families never returned to the park.

The same thing happened to Coney Island in NY over time.

Sure, it's wrong, both morally and legally, to exclude any indvidual from a public venue because of race, no question about it., and I personally do not condone such acts. But running, and maintaining, one's business is an entirely different animal, and SOME entrepreneurs will do whatever they deem necessary in order to protect one's investment or way of living.

[lovethesinner]

So, your point here is that "entrepreneurs" (I guess you meant white entrepreneurs) are justified in creating racial barriers to satisfy their bottom line?

How white of you.

Seriously, are you arguing that a single individual right to make money is more important than civil rights? Isn't this the same argument that confederates made to justify slavery?

Further, are Republicans as out-of-touch as your comments seem to suggest. (your use of the word "entrepreneur" is what leads me to suspect your party affiliation. It seems to define them, sometimes)

[PAposter]

I'm not sure how you make the connection between gangbangers in California to campers in Philadelphia. Are you suggesting that because these children are Black, that they would destroy this swim club?

[CherrySpring]

That's exactly what he's suggesting. What a m0r0n.

[bluestaterepub]

Yea that same life cycle happens to malls about every 8-10 years in my city. Demographics shift, crime goes up, stores leave, mall closes. Repeat at the next mall.

[as if]

so...by this logic, it's OK to be r*cist if one is doing it to make a living???

Jim Crow thinking at its best.

[CherrySpring]

I hope that sounded more intelligent, rational, and relevant in your mind than it ended up being in written form. These kids are not "gang bangers", they are campers, innocent little children who want to cool off at a pool during a hot summer. It's their right as Americans to do that. We have laws against this sort of discrimination for a reason.

[WowJones]

Amazing how topics like this brings out the Keyboard Bigots, saying things behind the anonymity of a computer that they would be to cowardly to say to anyone in real life.

[bluestaterepub]

Get off your high horse. If you paid a membership to a private pool and one a busload of black kids pulled up, you wouldnt be thrilled. Of course your sensibilities would probably keep you from saying anything.

[missviv]

If these black kids paid to use the same pool as I, they have every right to use it. If you don't want to be around black people, move to bottom of the ocean.

[johnr49]

Why should anyone be bothered by a few black kids?

And what part of "Open House" do you not understand?

[pghnappyrhino]

"Get off your high horse. If you paid a membership to a private pool and one a busload of black kids pulled up, you wouldnt be thrilled. Of course your sensibilities would probably keep you from saying anything."


how do YOU know what anyone would be thinking?

and yes, it's a private club. but public actions can have public consequences.

[pissedmichael]

I said this in another post. I had hoped to see this kind of behavior eradicated by the time I die. What a Pollyanna I can be sometimes. It's bad enough this happens, but it's the saddest thing in the world that it happened to children and that other children may have participated. This isn't the country I wanted to be from, the one I wanted to be a citizen of--this just breaks my heart.

[cordyc]

What an outrage. Sure hope they are sued right out of business.

[GravitonX]

The NAACP used to have a crack team of attorneys. I'm not sure this is the case anymore.

[GravitonX]

The Valley Swim Club will be at risk for the next 5 years.

[Note: the federal criminal civil rights laws have a five year statute of limitations from the date of the incident, except in cases involving an intentional killing (generally not bound by the statute of limitations) and religious interference incidents (seven year statute of limitations)].

ref. http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/overview.php

[Winston Smith]

I don't know if racism is something you can sue away.

[WowJones]

I'll bet when they get done with this crew they'll learn to take that chit somewhere else.

[mark12345]

No but we can break em in a real way ka-ching ka-ching.

[randman2009]

As an American I'm sad this happened. As a Southerner who is so tired of seeing my beloved part of the country maligned and so tired of being told we are the only racists around, I was relieved to see it happened in the enlightened North! A blue state at that!

Remember this people. Racism exists everywhere, not in one part of the country.

[hilaritee]

pennsylvania is barely blue....no­t that a blue state guarantees enlightenment

[WorldGoneWild]

I don't know if you've heard the phrase about PA that it's Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and Alabama in between. There's not much population in the "Alabama" part of the state. By a 3 to 1 margin, it's overwhemingly blue.

[dibabe]

I hear the N word way more in nyc than in the mid west

[PAposter]

This is not a Blue state...wh­at the heII have you been reading?

[randman2009]

PN voted Gore, Kerry, Obama. 2 Dem Senators, Dem Governor. 12 of 19 Reps are Dems. Thats pretty blue to me.

[miguelisimo2000]

Yeah that's true, but still more often in the south.

[bluestaterepub]

You are being stereotypical - no better than the people at this pool.

[DeeDeeDaGumby]

what is with ppl who seem to think it is ok to be prejudice against ppl from the south.. hate is still hate even if you point it at ppl for where they were born.. I saw some guy yesterday saying he wanted all of the ppl in Texas to die.. He obviously felt he could get away with making that kind of statement.­. Had he said black ppl or Hispanic ppl I am sure he would have gotten more resistance­.. But since it was against Southerns , well all righty then..when will ppl figure out that hate and haters live everywhere, not just in the south..

full disclosure here , I am from Texas married to some one from New York.. Trust me when I tell you I have spoken to enough ppl from all over to know, hate is not exclusive to the south..

[wijg]

Click on dibabe's name and report abusive profile.

[GravitonX]

Yes and on every comment it makes.

[GravitonX]

Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Daniel v. Paul, 395 U.S. 298 (1969) are explicit on this type of matter.

The club's actions were illegal, since technically and legally operates as a public facility. As such, given rather easily proven criminal conduct, the club's liability to civil damages would be assumed as a result of the criminal conduct, if quantified.

As I mentioned before, emotional damages could be over $20,000 per child. With 60 children, you can do the math on total potential liability ($1.2 million more or less). The parents can sue seperately or as a class. In either case, I highly doubt the Valley Swim Club will avoid lawsuit(s) and a crippling judgment(s).

[WowJones]

Thx Graviton X, I didn't know.

[GravitonX]

No problem. Feel free to pass the information along. Black empowerment begins with knowing the Law.

[Clovie]

How sad- those poor kids.

[chaya]

I'm sorry, kids. I'm so sorry. Those pathetic pale kids and that manager with the swollen liver aren't fit to walk the same earth with you.

[sueinmn]

Is this legal? I would file a civil liberties and discrimination suit. This is terrible!! I just cant believe the racism in this country! I can believe Palin attempted with many others to incite more of it but it is at an all time high. We have a black President and they just cant accept that times change and so should we! My god people, grow up into the 21st century!

[Telemachus]

42 United States Code, section 1981:

**********­**********­*

(a) Statement of equal rights

All persons within the jurisdiction of the United States shall have the same right in every State and Territory to make and enforce contracts, to sue, be parties, give evidence, and to the full and equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of persons and property as is enjoyed by white citizens, and shall be subject to like punishment, pains, penalties, taxes, licenses, and exactions of every kind, and to no other.

(b) "Make and enforce contracts" defined

For purposes of this section, the term "make and enforce contracts" includes the making, performance, modification, and termination of contracts, and the enjoyment of all benefits, privileges, terms, and conditions of the contractual relationship.

(c) Protection against impairment

The rights protected by this section are protected against impairment by nongovernmental discrimination and impairment under color of State law.

*************

That's just the first and most obvious law that applies. I'm sure there are others.

[robXdion]

What do you mean? You just got done contributing to the problem in the dog fighting blog.

[Olalaberry]

The Obama's and their friends wouldn't be allowed to swim there.

[GravitonX]

AG Eric Holder's comment about the United States being a Nation of Cowards when it comes to race couldn't be more true.

Again, it hit a little too close to home for some.

[DFutureIsNow]

Lets see how many republican politicians are disgusted by this... crickets chirping

[GravitonX]

You might as well be waiting for Rush to go on a diet.

[PAposter]

I got a good belly laugh out of that one...hila­rious!