My head was above the water as my hands gripped the edge of my parents’ in-ground pool. “Don’t move,” my parents shouted. I was a curious, confident six-year-old until I stepped backward on the pool’s slope. That step could have cost me my life. I was fortunate, but not every child is rescued. Some families face tragedy and some individuals have a life-long fear of water. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated has a program aimed at changing these realities.
Swim 1922 is a water-safety clinic that is held in partnership with the USA Swimming Foundation. Together, they have connected with several organizations, including Diversity in Aquatics, to present programming that reduces drowning disparities in Black and underserved communities. Although all ages are welcome to attend, the sorority’s signature program was created for youth ages 8 to 18.
The Northeastern Region of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority invite you to attend Swim 1922 in person or watch the simulcast on Saturday, April 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., as they broadcast on their social media channels from three locations: Commonpoint Community Center, Bronx, N.Y.; Howard University – Burr Gymnasium in Washington, D.C.; and Stratford Richardson YMCA in Charlotte, N.C.
At each location, music will be playing; food truck vendors will be lined up; and water polo, other games, and giveaways will be available. There is no fee for admission. Led by lifeguards and swim instructors, participants can join water-safety activities in and outside of the pool.
Olympic swimmers will be onsite: Natalie Hinds in the Bronx; Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace in North Carolina; and Maritza McClendon in Washington, DC. All three Olympians are members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority.
“I have had the honor to be involved with Swim1922 since its inception in 2012 and I’m dedicated to the work we do through Swim1922,” said McClendon. “As the first Black woman to make a U.S. Olympic swim team, I understand both the power of representation and the barriers that have historically limited access to swimming in Black and Brown communities. These same communities continue to face disproportionately high drowning rates, and that’s something we have the power to change for the good.”
McClendon, who will lead in-water instruction focused on foundational water-safety skills, added, “Through Swim 1922, we’re not just teaching people how to swim; we’re creating access, building confidence, and saving lives. I’m committed to being part of that change by ensuring that more children and families see themselves in the water and understand what’s possible. If my journey can inspire even one person to believe they belong in this space, then we’re moving in the right direction.”
Since its inception in 2012, the program has reached more than 100,000 children and adults nationwide. McClendon said her sorority sister, Talia Mark, developed the Swim 1922 program, which launched in Mount Vernon, N.Y.
According to Dr. Jodi Jacobs, the sorority’s Northeastern Region programs coordinator, Swim 1922 programs are conducted by chapters nationwide every year between May and August to reduce the level of fear and apprehension about learning to swim. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40 million Americans reported they do not know how to swim and each year there are more than 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths in the U.S.
“We understood that 11 people drown every day in the United States and, even more startling, 70% of our African American children and 60% of our Hispanic children and children of color do not know how to swim,” Jacobs said. “African American children are three times more likely to drown than Caucasian children, even though we’re generally not the ones [who] own the pools.”
According to Jacobs, two Howard University swim athletes will receive $7,000 swim scholarships. In the Bronx and Charlotte, seven families will “receive seven swim lessons so they can continue on their journeys within the pool” thanks to Macy’s sponsorship of Swim 1922.
Naila Cadden, a Howard University student and member of Sigma Gamma Rho, wants to make a difference. She is a certified lifeguard and member of Howard’s Water Polo Club, and one of the facilitators who will help youth understand “what CPR is, how it can save somebody’s life, and what to do in emergency situations.”
Jacobs added, “We go by the Distinctly Notable Northeastern Region of Sigma Gamma Rho,” with about 150 chapters with more than 5,000 alumni, undergraduate members, and affiliate group members from Maine down to North Carolina. Internationally, the sorority has chapters in Bermuda, Canada, Ghana, and South Korea. The sorority is based in Raleigh, N.C.
For more information and to attend, go to bit.ly/swim1922ner.