1 /5 Samaiya Balogun: A few months ago, my husband and I took our two kids and our godson swimming at the YMCA. From the moment we arrived, it felt like the lifeguard was watching my son and godson more harshly than anyone else. Any little thing they did he would scold them. Didnt let them play with the floaties they had out, stating they were for the summer camp kids, although other kids in the pool were playing with them later on and he didnt say anything. He didn’t want them in the larger pool because of the lap swimmers, even though they were swimming well away from that area. Fine—I told them to come join me in the smaller pool.
Then, two white boys walked in wearing black jeans, a T-shirt, and socks, and got straight into the pool fully clothed. The lifeguard didn’t say a single word to them. They swam around like that for a few minutes and left, completely unchecked.
The final straw was when my godson splashed my son in the face—something completely normal in a pool—and the lifeguard immediately scolded them for it. At that point, I decided it was best for us to leave before things escalated, because I could see my husband growing frustrated.
On our way to the front desk to cancel my membership, we passed a clerk who was literally in tears. She told us she had just been “made to cry” by a Black man who called her out after she responded inappropriately when he wished her a Happy Juneteenth. That was the last confirmation I needed.
I told her to cancel my membership on the spot. The YMCA will never receive another dime of our hard-earned money
