By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
Ahead of its May 2021 release, Ed Accura has announced the release of the official trailer of the the second film in the “Blacks Can’t Swim” franchise, Blacks Can’t Swim The Sequel.
The documentary follows up on the original film, A Film Called Blacks Can’t Swim, combining acting with real interview footage from various young adults from Black and ethnic minority communities on the topic.
The first movie was released in early 2019, and the sequel was announced in November.
The story follows two Black youths (Layla and K-Frost) from a gritty south London council estate, who are part of a music and sports-based community program designed to help give young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds a better chance in life. But, to complete this program which opens doors to a world of opportunities they must learn to swim.
The first film primarily centered on Accura and his fear of water, which ultimately led him to taking swimming lessons. In the sequel, the producer plays the role of mentor, using his firsthand experience to help get two very reluctant young adults in the water.
“I have voiced several times my belief that Black youth culture could bring the end to the generation-long issue due to a disproportionate amount of Black people not swimming,” said Accura. “I made certain recommendations through four audio-visual aids, Think About It, I won’t Swim, The Sequel, and Letter to the world, on how this could be achieved by focusing on the aquatic career pathway.”
Additionally, here is a letter to “swim culture” from Accura.
“In all honesty, I think it’s safe to say that swimming as a life-skill alone may never be a reason for there to be an uptake in swimming within the black community and the evidence is in the 95% of Black adults and 80% of Black children in England that do not swim.
“Learning how to swim with a career in focus may just be what it takes to change the narrative but before that can happen there are a number of behaviours that will have to be addressed.”
In an online survey, Accura found that 25.5% of those aged 16-25 from black communities said they didn’t swim, and 80% of those that could swim quoted rarely or never as their frequency of swimming, despite almost every one of the participants acknowledging swimming as a life skill.
“The most common reasons given for not swimming in no particular order included that it is not interesting, not relatable to black culture, parents don’t swim, friends don’t swim, not as inviting as other sports, fear of drowning, hair issues and conscious of body issues,” he said.
“What interested me the most was the answer to the question, ‘With training and a job option, would you consider a career in aquatics such as a coach or lifeguard?’ 17.5% answered yes and a further 28% responded maybe.
“This supports my theory that making swimming welcoming, relatable, and financially viable to black youth culture could be what changes the narrative.”
Read the full story on SwimSwam: “Blacks Can’t Swim The Sequel” Releases Official Teaser Trailer
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