Over the past few weeks, there is no doubt that you have at least heard about the incident in Philadelphia where a group of 65 students from a summer camp were rejected from a club swimming pool they paid to use. Upon their arrival, white parents removed their children from the pool, and began making racist comments about the group, some of which the children themselves heard. The following day, the club told the summer camp that they would be refunded any money they paid and that their membership had been cancelled. When asked why, a representative of the club said “…these kids would change the complexion…and atmosphere of the club.”

Change the complexion of the club? They really had the nerve to let that dumb shit come out of their mouths then claim it wasn’t a racial issue. All of this is simply a testament to the lack of progress this country has made in healing the racial divide. Yes, Barack Hussein Obama was elected president, fair and square this past November, yet while some went on to claim this event brought about a post racial America, a lot of us know better than that. This Philly pool incident is not a rare occurrence in this nation, it is just one incident where the media jumped all over it and put this swim club on blast for their ignorance. So much more needs to be done. We have come a long way, but no where near far enough for us, no matter what race, to get comfortable with the injustices that are still deeply woven into the American fabric.

Color of Change is an organization focused on making sure all Americans are “represented, served and protected.” They’ve put together a petition, condemning The Valley Swim Club’s actions, and have also called on The Department of Justice to investigate whether or not the club violated federal civil rights laws. For More information, or to sign the petition yourself, go to www.colorofchange.org

-Jessica Bennett