Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
A pool party in McKinney, Texas might be the next incident in a series of racial conflicts between police departments and African-Americans.
That altercation could have happened at a house party or a school dance or a mall.
But it didn't.
It happened at a swimming pool, and that may not be a coincidence.
Throughout history, public and communal pools have not only been the sites for relaxation and recreation, they've also been spots rife with racial tension.
Jeff Wiltse, author of , "Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America," tells Take Two that pools allowed more people to bare their skin in close quarters, leading to racism and bigotry in the waters.