Protesters At City Hall: Closing City Pools Is Racist
A group of activists opposed to cuts in city services is outside City Hall right now, protesting the city's decision to close 29 public pools. The group, which is still calling itself the Coalition to Save the Libraries after its fight last year on that issue, is now comparing the city to The Valley Club, the Huntingdon Valley swim club thrust into the national spotlight recently for rejecting a group of mostly minority children from a Philadelphia day camp.
Protesters At City Hall: Closing City Pools Is Racist
Chris Brennan
A group of activists opposed to cuts in city services is outside the Mayor's Office in City Hall right now, protesting the decision to close some public pools. The group, which is still calling itself the Coalition to Save the Libraries after its fight last year on that issue, is now comparing the city to The Valley Club, the Huntingdon Valley swim club thrust into the national spotlight recently for rejecting a group of mostly minority children from a Philadelphia day camp.
The group, including about 50 adults and children waving signs and chanting slogans, gathered around a plastic baby pool filled with toys outside City Hall before coming inside. Two of the children held signs saying "Closing our pools = changing the complexion of our city." That's a reference to an initial statement from the president of the Valley Club, who said the day campers were rejected because "there was a concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion" of the club. He later said that was a terrible choice of words and didn't reflect the safety concerns behind the decision.
Eric Braxton, a long-time Philadelphia activist, took the comparison a bit further in a speech to the protesters. "While we should condemn the Valley swim club, let's recognize that the city of Philadelphia has done the exact same thing to thousands of young people in Philadelphia." Braxton later said accusing the city of discrimination was fair because many of the closed public pools served "poor and working class" neighborhoods.
Forty-six of the city's 73 public pools are being opened this summer. Mayor Nutter is in Harrisburg today, lobbying for the budget deal he struck with City Council to increase the city's sales tax by 1 cent on the dollar and to make changes in the city's pension plan. Those issues must be approved by the state General Assembly, which is locked in its own budget battle. Without those changes, the city will implement a back-up budget that includes larger cuts, including to the city Police Department and Fire Department.
UPDATE, 1:40 pm: Clay Armbrister, Nutter's chief of staff, came out to speak with the protesters, who greeted him with catcalls about the city budget. "What people need to understand is we're in a very, very dire economic situation," Armbrister said. He was interrupted by Sherrie Cohen, a regular participant in these protests and daughter of the late Councilman David Cohen, who tried to start a chant of "So are we." It didn't take.
"It was unfortunate that we had to make some choices," Armbrister responded when one of the children asked who decided to close the pools. "We didn't have enough money to keep all the pools open."
Comments (65)
One of the things that amazed me about Philadelphia is the fact that every time there is a protest, the minorities are always there and ready to protest. Do they not have jobs to go to or if they do not have a job, should'nt they be looking for a job?— rwork1972- A 90% "African-American" administration makes the wise choice to close some non-essential services during a budget crisis, and its "racist"? I personally think the city should charge a nominal fee for their use, to make them self-supporting. Of course, then we would hear how THAT was racist, or "against poor people" or something. With all the money these professional protesters spend on gas and signs, they could have bought out the Huntingdon Valley Swim Club and turned it into Ghetto Pool West, but its easier to blame someone else, I guess.— ChrisM5150
Nutter has more importatnt things to worry about than opening up city pools. Look at the last sentence in this article. Cuts to Police and Fire would be devastating. Who cares about the pools we need Police and Fire to go nowhere.— ZOSO- this is total bull- calling a diverse city council racist is as moronic as the protest itself— phlyfumblr
- I don't think this is a race issue. It is more an issue of the City government not doing the right thing. Public swimming pools are not a luxury. They are a part of doing something for the children of this city. To be poor is one thing, to poor and hot in the summer is another. It is a basic responsibility that the City should provide all its children, good, healthy, clean and safe recreation facilities. If the Mayor and City Council want to cut something not needed to meet budget restraints, let them significantly cut their own salaries and perks, unnecessary personal staffs, and vehicles. The government is here to protect and serve its citizens; not the other way around. If it takes 50 chanting protesters to make that point so be it.— BillyBob369
- Having access to a pool during the summer is a luxury item the city can no longer afford to provide to its citizens. It is not a basic right or need.— JB Philly
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Is this for real? Are protesters actually calling sound fiscal decisions racist? Sorry, The racial bullying only works on white people.- The parents of these children should sacrifice their lottery ticket, booze and drug purchases for a short time. then go to Target, Walmart, etc. and buy one of those pools for the yard. They're really not that expensive. I always had one when I was a child and enjoyed playing in it immensely.— The_Unknown-Poster
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- Everything is racist!!!!— EnoughAlready
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- BillyBob, you got some purty goot thunkin' there, fer a redneck! But seriously, the suggestion that to run each city pool costs approximately what a Councilman makes during the summer non-session, so why not just cut their salaries to provide recreational facilities for the kids ... well, who'd vote for that??? (I sure would.) And seriously, the only reason the 'race' card has been played is because otherwise it wouldn't get any press coverage. If they were honest, and cried "poor" instead of "black", would this article even exist??? (I think not.)— citylumberjack
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- Race hustlers. That's all these people are.— rbpeeple
This is not a poor city, it is a city with poor people. The Art Museum is in the middle of a $500 million make over, the Barnes Museum is $200m, The Constitution Center, $160m, The New Revolutionary War Center, $100m? The Jewish American Museum $150m, All of the sports stadiums, over $1bil, The Kimmel Arts Center $270mil, Academy of Music makeover, including chandelier rehab $41.75mil. To bad the central business district is being manhattanized. Billions for millionaires and take a bus to suburbs for the city's underclass. The class not into museums and orchestra as a necessary city service.- Comment removed.
- tHE COMMENTS LIKE THAT OF THE FIRST BLOGGER ARE EXACTLY WHY THEY NEED TO PROTEST. This is America - don't you get it? People have the right to fight for their neighborhoods. Commonsense says if these children don't have recreation centers or pools they will be children and make up fun or activities any way they can. By providing structured services and activities it also serves to keep kids regarless of color off the streets. To assume that every child in a poor neighbors parents are gamblers, drug atticts and alcholics is a revolting and sad thought. What about mothers such as that of Dr. Benjamin Carson world renown surgeon who grew up in a poor neighborhood but his mother scrubbed floors. China town fought for their rights when it came to stadiums, east falls fought against casinos, south philadelphia residents fought for relief in regards to neighborhood issues as well. If you are in a poor area and one of the few amenities you have is a pool do you quietly accept its closing those sending a signal to the young that they arent important or do you make some noise even if it wont change the outcome. I do not blame them one bit. The city must do what it has to and the neighborhoods have a right to respond. Oh say can you?!?— ruserious
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- maybe if the residents of these poor neighborhoods didn't sap the city's resources dry for police overtime, health clinics, education services, etc. - not to mention the fact that they contribute almost nothing in tax revenue - then maybe they could complain. these people get enough handouts. idiots!— philly57
- Racist?...Ridiculous!! The city is BROKE people! & maybe, just maybe if the 50 or so people at that rally worked their wage taxes might be able to help keep some of the pools open. Pools are not a necessity ... in good times sure, not in the midst of one of the worst financial crisis in the recent history. We need to keep the core services. (Police, Fire & Sanitation) Something’s gotta give and pools & libraries are two things that unfortunately have to get back-burnered.— Kennedy
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- Our water bills will be going up with all the fire hydrants that will be tuned on in north philly! YIKES!— ZOSO
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- If everyone keeps crying wolf then its hard to take real racism claims seriously! This is a joke.— cujat13
- RUSerious, they are certainly allowed (and in my mind welcomed) to protest for the services to which they have become accustomed. What they may NOT do is pull a Latrice, and denounce anyone that doesn't agree with their worldview as racists!!! The significant misuse of the word cheapens it enough to encourage the reality to grow, as every time someone cries 'racist!' without cause another person becomes embittered against them.— citylumberjack
- Why does no one have a job. Sherrie Cohen spends her life standing in front of protesters chanting away. Get a job!— democratsruinedthecity
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- Philadelphians can thank the ever popular PPA for some of those pools being opened this summer. If it wasn't for their antics and our city residents filled with parking ticket anger, A&E wouldn't have filmed Parking Wars and A&E wouldn't have donated over $100,000 to keep some of these pools open. Hilarious.— CindyE
- SWANK == The new mantra of the civil rights movement.— CaptainBrophy
- BillyBob369 said "It is a basic responsibility that the City should provide all its children, good, healthy, clean and safe recreation facilities". It's not the City's responsibility to do anything for it's children except protect them from harm through police, fire and rescue services. It's their PARENTS responsibility to do everything else, including teaching them to entertain themselves (through legal means). I couldn't swim in the public pool near me as a child because the blacks would gang-up on us and assault us. That's when we realized the value of our hoses. Then later our parents were able to afford a membership to a private swim-club...BECAUSE THEY WORKED HARD AND DIDNT DEPEND ON THE GOVERNMENT! Too much thinking like yours is what has gotten this city, state and country into the sorry condition that it is in today!— PhillySteve21
- It's funny, I never had a pool growing up yet somehow I still made it through the summer without killing or robbing anyone. I also never felt that I was automatically entitled to free pool access either. I guess I'm just strange.— JZan
- Take $15 per month from welfare checks and we would have plenty of money for pools. Oh sorry that would be racist. No cuts to welfare checks, but if you go to work everyday in the city, you have to pay higher taxes, higher utility bills and take pay cuts to fund services to the welfare nation.— jn3
- Send them to Devil's pool down by Valley Green, they can swim there!— ZOSO
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- NOW I have seen and read everything!!! This CAN'T be really happening, can it? Are these people that stupid to realize that RACISM has NOTHING to do with many (but not all) of the city pools being shut down? What's the phrase, "Stop the world, I wanna get off?" Reading this article and knowing that some unintelligent, irresponsible human beings are actually protesting the lack of a God D--n pool being open...that phrase fits!!! Please Stop the World, I wanna get off!!!!— KG071
- Eliminate welfare. Force these do nothings to go get a job instead of spending their days protesting every perceived slight— hawk
- They are probably doing these kids a favor. Everyone knows black people can't swim.— Danny Noonan
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- Go take a dip in the Delaware or Schuylkill river.— The_Unknown-Poster
- Two things: Closing pools specifically is not racist. Choosing to deny public funded services to people that are without the means to provide those same service for themselves again is not specifically racist. But when it is part of a patern of behavior; a precisting neglect of a certain community habitually, it then becomes racist. Second, the fact that members of the city government are minorities does not necessary preclude them from being/acting racist. Politcians, white or black, function as part of a system that is ultimately bigger then the sum of its indiviual parts. It should be that in general American governments operate with racist consequences. Remeber, some the officers that murdered Sean Bell were black...— SethGordon
- This is pathetic. The claims of racism at the Valley Swim Club is completely baseless. The group insisted that the swim club work things out so that they could come back. The Swim Club does that and the camp group says "We don't want to go back and we're suing." Now a black mayor is racist against blacks for closing public pools. Yeah, ok. How about the city get out of the recreation business and sell all the pools to a private company. To say pools are essential is beyond stupid.— MikeP
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- SethGordon, you are so smart. You have it all figured out. If there is a pattern, IT MUST BE RACISM. It can't be anything else. Not people lobbying city government, not variation of the effectiveness of the city council member, not the cost to open and maintain a pool. If there is a pattern, it's racism!!— MikeP
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- Mike P, thank you for calling me smart. Whatever the cause is, the Philadelphia city government fails the black community. Now that is not necessarily racist either, to me it just seems that racism is most reasonable explanation— SethGordon
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- On my block when I was growing up we didn't have or need a pool: WE DID IT PHILLY OLD SKOOL STYLE: OPEN UP THE FIRE PLUGS!! WOO HOO!— ShroomCheeseSteak
- SethGordon, The brothers and Sisters are running the city. So how could it be racism if its the brothers and sisters are failing the black community? The black community is running things in this city according to the politicians of the city.— jn3
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- This is a case of the media not getting it right, or maybe using a provacative headline to hook readers into the story. The fact is that, while most of the demonstrators were indeed African American, there were white kids there who were welcomed and who spoke eloquently at the mic. as did many of the kids. The white youngsters identified themselves as being from Fishtown, and one of them, a young lady of about 11 or 12 said, she felt "horrible" about not having a place to swim this summer. I have to agree with billybob369 who said this is a case of the City Govt not doing the right thing. That is the point the demonstrators were trying to make, and many did so eloquently. Some also mentioned the library closings and the closing of fire stations. Some of the adults who spoke also mentioned more basic issues, such as the budget being balanced on the backs of the children of poor and working people. Powerful points in my opinion.— bikerbenn
It seems these "protesters" have a lot of time on their hands. Why don't they man, maintain, and repair the pools they so badly want opened? It's not a race issue, it's a budget issue! What the heck is so bad about paying a nominal fee to keep a pool open? Heck, would a few bucks a day for all-day use of the pool break you? If so, you have some fierocious money management issues of your own.- I never had a pool growing up. They can sweat just like I did then and still do today. Don't these protestors have jobs? I don't know why I read this stuff at lunch time.— glem zee
- Let's put this in perspective. If each pool freeloader paid $5 a week then the city could open the pool. What would "baby-mama" have to give up so her little Junior Freeloader could have teh "right" to use the luxury of a swimming pool (and get the daily bath at the same time)? hmmm...maybe she could give up the weekly trip to the salon to get her hair extensions re-done, or that new wig, or the pedicure, or the manicure, or one less fast food meal. just a start...— glem zee
- If this is not a necessity, then close all the pools not selected few. Maybe people are protesting because majority of the pools being closed may be in the African American neighborhoods. May the ones that are writing negative comments are the people who live in the neighborhoods that the pools are not being closed. To the person who made a comment about the African Americans not having a job, have you ever heard of Night employment. Please do not show your ignorance.— neszi6857
- If this is not a necessity, then close all the pools not selected few. Maybe people are protesting because majority of the pools being closed may be in the African American neighborhoods. May the ones that are writing negative comments are the people who live in the neighborhoods that the pools are not being closed. To the person who made a comment about the African Americans not having a job, have you ever heard of Night employment. Please do not show your ignorance.— neszi6857
- First, ChrisM5150, I'm not sure what Philadelphia you reside in, but the Phila.,Pa administartion IS NOT 90% black. Since I AM AT work in the area of the protest, I can tell you that they all are NOT minorities. Yes, it's a stupid argument they have (I'd personally rather have police for safety than pools), but get your facts straight. There are SOME people on this sight that actually KNOW what they are talking about.— workngirl
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Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns. E-mail tips to brennac@phillynews.com
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
Follow Dave on Twitter.
Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
Follow Jan on Twitter
Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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