Swimming Through the Waves: Black Collegiate Swimmers and Their Experiences

Abstract

The current generation of collegiate Black swimmers attending either a historically Black college and university (HBCU) or a predominantly white institution (PWI) have witnessed Black swimmers excel at the collegiate and elite levels of swimming. Using an interview case study method, a semi-structured protocol was employed to interview three participants concerning family history, their swimming history, the meaning of inclusion by exploring stereotypes and expenses (cultural, financial, and emotional), the ramifications of being a collegiate swimmer, and being a Black swimmer. The participants of this study discussed the significance and intersectionality of race/ethnicity and the complexities of competitive swimming. Noting that minimal research has been conducted on the experiences of Black collegiate swimmers from historically Black colleges and universities and predominantly white institutions, the results provided insight into the lived experiences of Black collegiate swimmers and addressed the adversity and accomplishments of the participants and their role models. This research was conducted as a semester long course requirement for future inquiry on the subject matter of the experiences of Black collegiate swimmers.