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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Lifestyle
Gloria Oladipo with photographs by Laila Stevens

A New York program is helping Black people of all ages enjoy swimming: ‘It’s very empowering’

New York Randy Smith Queens
A swimmer learns to float during a lesson by Black People Will Swim at York College in Jamaica, Queens, New York, on 20 June 2024.
A swimmer learns to float during a lesson by Black People Will Swim at York College in Jamaica, Queens, New York, on 20 June 2024. Photograph: The Guardian

Valerie Spears hadn’t planned on taking swim lessons when she RSVP’d to her high school reunion in New York City.

But when Spears, a 72-year-old retiree who lives in Akron, Ohio, learned about a free class in Queens, she decided to pack her bathing suit.

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