Black Children Are Drowning At Alarming Rates — And The Reason Is America’s Racist History

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), released on Jan. 27, is shedding light on a heartbreaking reality: Black children and adults continue to drown at much higher rates than their white peers.

According to the report, Black people under the age of 30 are 1.5 times more likely to die from drowning than white people. The biggest gap is among children. Black children between the ages of 5 and 9 are 2.6 times more likely to drown than white children, while Black children ages 10 to 14 drown at rates that are 3.6 times higher.

These numbers aren’t just statistics. They tell the story of generations of families who were denied access to pools, swimming lessons, and water safety because of segregation and discrimination.