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“Black Girls Do Swim” is their motto. North Carolina A&T State University women’s swim team is proud to be the only all black swim team in NCAA Division I. But, sadly, it is also the last, as their University has decided to end the swimming program. The only other HBCU that has a swimming team is Howard University, and they have integrated ranks.
This decision is being justified in different ways – from budget cuts to low finishes or lack of interests and support. Despite all that, the team did bust some myths about female African-American swimmers, mainly about how black people can’t swim and have no place in aquatic sport. They have proven quite the opposite, and they are proud of it. Yet, it is hard for them not to feel sad about the decision, stating that it was a bittersweet experience for them, but they did manage to break some of the racial barriers surrounding this sport. Although they are sad to see this sport being taken away from their University, they enthused about their legacy. Thank you ladies for proving the naysayers wrong! “Black Girls Do Swim!”
