August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 22

EQUITY
When a swim team
Bridging Community Through
Equity and Belonging
By Roslyn Johnson, CPRP
T
he City of Annapolis, Maryland, had a group of mostly nonresidents
demand access to five of its six swim lanes at its only pool for eight
weeks of its 12-week operation, Monday through Thursday from 5
p.m. to 7:45 p.m., as they had done in years past. The request was
counter to advancing equity in our community and provided an opportunity for
our park and recreation department to focus on equity and public access.
We are a seven-square-mile community
of only 40,000 people with
more than 17 miles of shoreline. Our
only pool is outdoors. We know that
drowning is still one of the top three
causes of unintentional injury death
for people younger than 29. Additionally,
swimming pool drowning
rates among Black individuals between
the ages of 5 and 19 is 5.5 times
higher than their white counterparts,
and 10 times higher between the ages
of 11 and 12 (tinyurl.com/4y8drhaj).
These statistics emphasize the need
22 Parks & Recreation | A UGUS T 2 0 2 3
for water safety and learn-to-swim
opportunities for all in the community.
This swim team wanted 80 percent
of the evening hours for only themselves.
The swim team also had very
little diversity, despite their claims.
The Heat Turns Up
The swim team realized the department
was not going to fulfill their
request as presented and would instead
look for a compromise. The
department had offered several other
options, including all lanes in the
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
requested access to 80
percent of the evening hours
at the community's only
pool, Annapolis (Maryland)
Recreation and Parks chose
to center equity.
morning hours, partial lanes in the
evening and a hybrid version of the
two. However, the swim team insisted
on their original request. The
team showed up at a council meeting
with signs, children and plenty
of testimony. After more than 10
speakers, they even did their team
chant in the chamber.
On the opposite side, some residents,
a board of recreation and
parks member, and a pool lifeguard
all testified to request that the department
give the greater community
opportunities to enjoy this amenity
in the evening when most working
parents get off of work. Pool staff
asked for support as they often are
yelled at, cursed at and argued with
when they have to clear the pool of
the public for the swim team.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNAPOLIS (MARYLAND)
RECREATION AND PARKS

http://tinyurl.com/4y8drhaj

August 2023 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2023 - Parks & Recreation

August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Intro
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover1
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover2
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 1
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 2
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 3
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 4
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 5
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 6
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 7
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 8
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 9
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 10
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 11
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 12
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 13
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 14
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 15
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 16
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 17
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 18
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 19
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 20
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 21
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 22
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 23
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 24
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 25
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 26
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 27
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 28
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 29
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 30
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 31
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 32
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 33
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 34
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 35
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 36
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 37
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 38
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 39
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 40
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 41
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 42
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 43
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 44
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 45
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 46
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 47
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 48
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 49
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 50
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 51
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 52
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 53
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 54
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 55
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 56
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover3
August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover4
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2021
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com