David Isom is well known at this point for going to a segregated swimming pool and taking a swim. Nobody hurt David, and that’s good. But, many other Black Americans were not as lucky. Riots took place across the north and south of the United States because Black people had the audacity to go swimming. Acid was poured in pools, people were beaten with bats and off duty police officers dived into pools wearing all their clothing because the on guard police officers weren’t moving fast enough.
When Black People Go Swimming
In the North, people would harass Black people as they tried to swim in public pools. In the South, Jim Crow required separate but equal pools; but they were never really equal. On June 8, 1958 nineteen year old David Isom wanted to go for a swim. He headed to the local pool in St. Petersburg Florida ” That doesn’t sound crazy, but David Isom is Black and the pools in St. Peterspurg had been segregated the year prior. Instead of going to the dirty pool that Black people were supposed to use in Tampa Bay nicknamed “The South Mole. He heads to The Spa Pool and the craziest thing happens.
The cashier at the pool doesn’t even try to stop him from buying ticket. There’s over 40 white people in the pool that day, and most of them do not care. Some look on with confusion, most just continue their swim. Nobody leaves, nobody harasses David. The lifeguard on duty Tommy Chinnis said, “he was like everyone else.”
Now after David left, the manager of Spa Pool John Gough kicked everyone out, went on a racist tirade and drained the pool. The City Manager Ross Windom kept the pool and attached gym closed for a whole year. City Council fired them both and reopened the pool in 1989. When asked about it by his local newspaper Isom said, “I feel that it’s not a privilege. Just a right.”
Let’s go back to 1952. Sammy Davis Jr, is doing some shows in Las Vegas and is staying at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino. This is notable because Sammy stated he would never perform for a place he could not be a patron. Well he’s hanging out with the Rat Pack at The Sands and playing poker by the pool. Sammy decides to go for a swim. There was no problem with Sammy getting in the pool. He swam and when he left the pool, they drained it and cleaned it.
Even further back in 1949 Washington DC did not segregate pools or anything. But on June 29th 1949 the Anacostia Pool riot took place. White pool goers didn’t want to share with Black pool goers. Estimates say between 400 and 500 people took part in the riot. Nobody died but some people went to the hospital. The pool was closed for an entire year.
That’s not the only Pool Riot in 1949. A few days earlier, On June 21st 1949, there was another riot, or attempted lynching honestly. The St Louis Missouri Fairgrounds Swimming Pool was once the world’s largest municipal pool. A handful of Black teenagers attempted to swim there. They didn’t even get in the pool before being attacked by white swimmers. Then white people flooded the streets and beat any Black people in sight with fists and baseball bats.
David Isom isn’t the only person who stood up against segregated pools. In 1964 the day before The Civil Rights Act had passed 17 year old Mimi Jones and several others entered a whites-only pool at a motel in St. Augustine Florida. They weren’t even asked to leave. Seconds later the owner rushed out shouting that he was cleaning the pool and poured a gallon of muriatic acid into the water. He had obviously been waiting, maybe even hoping they would get in the pool. Luckily, pools are large enough that a gallon of muriatic acid doesn’t have any real power beyond irritating the skin and eyes. They were arrested and a second wave who was preparing to jump were also arrested.
Next time some loser says Black people can’t swim, just remember that less than 70 years ago, Black people were being covered in acid and beaten into unconsciousness for trying.