How sad it was to read about the African American children who were kicked out of The Valley Swim Club in Philadelphia.
In case you haven’t heard the story, here’s the synopsis: 60 African-American campers from the Northeast Philadelphia Creative Steps Day Camp paid $1900 to The Valley Swim Club for weekly access to swim in their private pool. After the first day, the money was quickly refunded and the campers were told not to return.

According to witnesses, the white members of the club pulled their children out of the pool and stood poolside with their arms crossed when the minority children entered the water. Many kids heard club members make racist comments toward them while they were swimming. In an interview, an eyewitness named “Jan,” said the children from The Creative Steps Day Camp were very well behaved, and the camp supervisors were highly attentive.

Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email, “When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool.” “The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately.”

The swim club president John Duesler said, “There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club.”

In spite of this poor choice of words, the club is denying allegations of racism saying that the money was refunded because of over-crowding at the pool but state regulators have opened up an investigation to find out exactly what happened so this won’t be the end of the story.

Some of the comments about this story on the NBC Philadelphia website were equally saddening. For instance, a poster “BML” states, “I don’t know who said, “All men are created equal,” but this clearly isn’t true, it’s just idealistic thinking. Everyday scientists and medical researchers uncover differences amongst the races and genders, but the “equal” mantra continues to cause discord in our society.”

As the saying goes… “None so blind as those who will not see.” No one argues that there are not differences among people, but this is only a problem when differences are devalued. All Men – and Women – are created equal in that we are all hold inherent value regardless of what our differences are. I submit to you that these differences should be celebrated rather than vilified. Clearly the poster BML believes that the medical researchers that “uncover differences amongst the races and genders” are validating his or her worldview that places people in hierarchical order. (dare I guess in his or her own mind “BML” is at the top of this hierarchy?) Sadly, “BML” is actually proposing that discord could be avoided if people would only accept medically and scientifically lesser status. This is exactly the kind of mindset that is an indication of a sick society.

We all bring a set of valuable, yet different, assets to the table of humanity. These should be celebrated, not vilified. If we operated from that frame, our world would literally heal rather than continue to be stuck in this cycle of division and pain.

When anyone is oppressed, everyone is oppressed. I am reminded of a segment of a documentary I recently saw about the civil rights movement. A white man who faced fierce repercussions while protesting Jim Crow laws in the south stated,

“My freedom is very much entangled with the freedom of every other man – so I fighting for my own freedom here.”

Imagine a world where we all respect each other’s inherent value? This is the mindset that will end discord in society and in us.