This is a quick update to the unfortunate news from last week about the Creative Steps Day Camp children who were kicked out of Philadelphia’s Valley Swim Club pool because, as the Club John President said, they would change the “complexion” of the pool.
By a nearly unanimous vote by Club members, the kids were invited back. The Creative Steps Day Camp leaders have politely declined the offer:
Amid a storm of racial controversy, a Philadelphia day camp whose children were asked to leave a private suburban swim club have rejected the club’s invitation to return and announced plans to sue.
“The children are permanently scarred,” Alethea Wright, executive director of Creative Steps Inc., said in a news conference yesterday at the camp’s headquarters . . . .
[Valley Club President] Duesler said club members’ actions had been misunderstood, with a decision made for pool safety interpreted as a racist act. “This is the saddest week of my life,” Duesler said yesterday. “Everything I stand for and everything this club represents has been turned on its head.”
July 16th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Jesus!
William you are forcing me to make you a daily appointment; one leaves for a few days and comes back to pages upon pages of things to catch up with! Not that there’s anything wrong with that, the fact that you seem to really, REALLY, comb the web for every bit of news, even from around the world, to bring it to light is the chief reason I keep coming back; even news reports I may not otherwise know about if it wasn’t for you. So for that, consider this a big thank you.
Onto this article, I’m so glad the Creative Steps Day Camp turned down the Philly’s Swim Club’s invitation. And I can’t believe they dare say this whole thing started because of a “misunderstood decision base upon poll safety.” Racist basterds.
July 17th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Keep making that appointment, Nate! I do my best to cover as much as I can. Glad it’s working for you!