“The Battle of the Burr” is one of the biggest swim meets in the country, pitting D.C. universities Georgetown and Howard in a local rivalry matchup this Saturday.
However, for Nicholas “Nik” Askew, the director of swimming and diving at Howard University, the swim meet is more than a competition. The sold-out event, which will feature a watch party in the Bison’s basketball arena in Burr Gymnasium, is another chance to remind people of the lack of water spaces for underserved communities.
“Sixty-five percent of African Americans have limited or no swimming ability, and we drown at three times the rate of our white counterparts,” Askew said, referencing a 2023 Consumer Product Safety Commission report on fatal and nonfatal drowning reporting.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report released in May, there are about 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths every year in the United States, with significantly higher rates among people of color. The data also says about 55% of U.S. adults have never taken a swimming lesson, with only 37% of Black people saying they had taken classes.
The information is shocking to Askew, who jumped into the pool at an early age and swam competitively in high school. He started at Howard University in 1996 as a dual-sport athlete as a swimmer and tennis player. He became the swim team’s captain and became a six-time conference champion in the pool.
However, he understands the history of African Americans being forced out of bodies of water and the lack of water spaces in urban settings. He joined the Pool Safety program over the summer and recorded a PSA on the history of African Americans in water spaces and why people of any age should learn to swim.
According to its website, Pool Safety was launched by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to teach people the simple steps to save lives and develop a national education campaign to reduce drownings.
“Drowning is known as the silent killer, and because not a lot of people really talk about it, there’s not a lot of news about it, but the stats are out there,” Askew said.
As the NCAA’s only Division I swimming and diving team at a historically Black college, Askew said there a measure of responsibility to be a visible representation for African Americans and other people of color who may be apprehensive in getting in the water.
Events like the Battle of the Burr are a starting point. The dual, men’s and women’s competitions are a one-of-a-kind competition for the athletes from the two high-profile universities and the spectators who experience it.
“Being able to look at the pool deck and see people who you can see yourself as, is important because that allows you to start thinking ‘that space is for me,'” he said.
One of the first things Askew encourages is learning water safety and proper protocols when in a body of water, regardless of if it’s a pool or the ocean. He encourages families to take also advantage of resources in their communities, including free or low-cost classes at local YMCAs, parks and recreational organizations.
“Water is a therapeutic space, so you may not want to be a competitive swimmer, but you can do aqua aerobics, aqua cycling,” he said. “You can just come in here for just therapy alone and just tread water as part of the therapy, and it’s calming. So, it truly is a space for everyone, at every age.”
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