The PG Pool is racist [MD]

[Anonymous]

Okay, Um, what about Cheverly pool? Is that racist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The PG pool has the same legacy racism problems that other private clubs have.

It is widely hated in the neighborhood because we know we’ll never get off the wait list.

Some people want to have a constructive conversation about what the pool could do to address its racist history. There are a bunch of good ideas out there. None of them move most of us neighbors up the waitlist though.

Mt Rainier has its fair share of useless busybodies who just like to complain and the pool is an easy target.

I don't think that's true, given the circumstances here.

1. Fifty years ago, PG Pool had racist policies.
2. They changed those policies in 1975.
3. In the 1990s through 2010-11, membership was so low that there was no waiting list. This wasn't a short-term occurrence, it lasted for decades. Anyone, of any race, could (and did) join just by signing up and paying the fee.
4. The pool recently has become more popular, and there's a wait list, that's open to all.

In other words, this isn't a "legacy racism problem" - it's a racist past that has been addressed, and now race-neutral factors have combined to create a wait list, and inhibited people in the neighborhood (and everywhere) from joining. But having a wait list isn't evidence of a legacy racism problem. It might be if there's been a wait list going all the way back to 1975, but the extended time period where anyone could join really eliminates that argument (for anyone who's honestly thinking about this, anyway).

Do u think ppl who were excluded from this pool for decades would suddenly feel welcomed to join after 1975? Racism takes a long time to work it’s way out of the social fabric of a society.

True. And that might be particularly true if the process —rather than being transparently first-come-first-served — involved an application for acceptance by an all white board, and taking a chance on paying the fees without some minimal assurance that your family would genuinely be welcomed. It’s also hard to be the first. Many people —adults and kids — were already experiencing being the firsts of small numbers of Black Americans integrating schools and professional environments. Adding on additional stressors from what should be a fun relaxing experience might have been a factor at the time as well.

+100

The application consists of signing up on line. In the early 2000s the application involved writing information on a piece of paper. THere is/was no application "to the board." There were few members back then. Some of them were black, not sure if it was hard to be the first, but it was done long ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I just emailed with a local news outlet about these racial tensions.

Cool. I hope they interview some of the other African American (or otherwise POC) members.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From PG Pool:

I'd like to highlight this recent solicitation for new board and committee members. There are over 2000 pool members (ok some of those are children) while there are 7 current board members (most of whom have been serving for too long). We need fresh blood, ideas, energy and types of people. Interested in knowing more? I'm happy to answer questions:

Solicitation for New Board Members (and we want more committee members, too!)

PG Pool Board

We need you! The PG Pool Board is seeking new elected members to fill specific board vacancies for the coming year. The following vacancies are open:
In-Season Co-op Coordinator
Diversity and Inclusion Liaison
Events Committee Vice-chair
Communications Vice-chair
If you have the time, skills, and passion to fill any of these roles, please reach out to [e-mail] to discuss the details of what's involved.

PG Pool Committees
The board is also looking for people to fill or expand a few committees in 2023. Contact [e-mail] if you are interested. We especially seek folks for the following committees:
Events committee
Beautification committee
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee
Communications committee
Physical plant committee (learn about the nuts and bolts of our facilities)
Important Note:
For the board and for committees, one of our goals is diversity. We welcome all board applicants, and especially encourage representation we have less of at this time: newer members, people with young children, and people of diverse races, cultures, gender identities, income, etc. We welcome diverse perspectives and fresh ideas and energy, so don't be shy!

It's all more fun than work. Really! If you'd like to help manage, improve, innovate, or otherwise assist the PG Pool in being awesome, please contact [e-mail] to learn more.

Can I join the pool board if I’m not a member of the pool?

PP here, I honestly don't know the answer to that question, but I would assume you would need to be a member.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the City of Mount Rainier could chip in to expand the capacity of the PG Pool to ensure people in the community could join?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I just emailed with a local news outlet about these racial tensions.

Cool. I hope they interview some of the other African American (or otherwise POC) members.

Which local news outlet, PP? We would all like to follow developments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I just emailed with a local news outlet about these racial tensions.

Cool. I hope they interview some of the other African American (or otherwise POC) members.

It's not like there's a publicly accessible membership list that the reporters could find the names of member. The wait list itself only contains the waitlist number you were assigned, and your numerical place on the list, and when you placed yourself on the list. To put yourself on the list, you only enter your name, email and phone. It doesn't ask for address, zip code, race, or anything else. There is no way for PG Pool to know who on the waitlist is of what race. They just email you when there is an opening if you are on the top of the list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I just emailed with a local news outlet about these racial tensions.

Cool. I hope they interview some of the other African American (or otherwise POC) members.

Which local news outlet, PP? We would all like to follow developments.

WUSA 9

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many of the dues paying members of this pool saved it from bankruptcy. The community should thank us.

Yes thank goodness a pool club was saved from extinction by being racist. Harming and excluding others can be overlooked so long as a pool doesn't get paved over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the City of Mount Rainier could chip in to expand the capacity of the PG Pool to ensure people in the community could join?

This would make sense + integrate the pool into our community

[Anonymous]

It's not a neighborhood pool or county/city/public pool, so people who live nearby don't have a "right" to it even though it would be a lovely convenience.

I live just a few blocks from some nice apartment buildings with pools for their residents. Even though they're in my neighborhood and I can walk to them in less than 5 minutes, I have to drive 8 minutes to my closest outdoor public pool. I couldn't afford an apartment in one of those buildings with private pools, and they don't have to share their amenity that I can see gets crowded from their own residents and residents' guests. So I go to public pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many of the dues paying members of this pool saved it from bankruptcy. The community should thank us.

Yes thank goodness a pool club was saved from extinction by being racist. Harming and excluding others can be overlooked so long as a pool doesn't get paved over.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the City of Mount Rainier could chip in to expand the capacity of the PG Pool to ensure people in the community could join?

I don't think that would be possible. Back when they were having trouble with finances they sold that large field by them to the county or city. It's too bad, because it could have been used to expand the pool area or the small parking area now that there are so many members and wanting to be members, but the city/county won't sell it back from what I heard. That is why parking is so terrible and so many people end up parking at Thomas Stone school and walking over from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From PG Pool:

I'd like to highlight this recent solicitation for new board and committee members. There are over 2000 pool members (ok some of those are children) while there are 7 current board members (most of whom have been serving for too long). We need fresh blood, ideas, energy and types of people. Interested in knowing more? I'm happy to answer questions:

Solicitation for New Board Members (and we want more committee members, too!)

PG Pool Board

We need you! The PG Pool Board is seeking new elected members to fill specific board vacancies for the coming year. The following vacancies are open:
In-Season Co-op Coordinator
Diversity and Inclusion Liaison
Events Committee Vice-chair
Communications Vice-chair
If you have the time, skills, and passion to fill any of these roles, please reach out to [e-mail] to discuss the details of what's involved.

PG Pool Committees
The board is also looking for people to fill or expand a few committees in 2023. Contact [e-mail] if you are interested. We especially seek folks for the following committees:
Events committee
Beautification committee
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee
Communications committee
Physical plant committee (learn about the nuts and bolts of our facilities)
Important Note:
For the board and for committees, one of our goals is diversity. We welcome all board applicants, and especially encourage representation we have less of at this time: newer members, people with young children, and people of diverse races, cultures, gender identities, income, etc. We welcome diverse perspectives and fresh ideas and energy, so don't be shy!

It's all more fun than work. Really! If you'd like to help manage, improve, innovate, or otherwise assist the PG Pool in being awesome, please contact [e-mail] to learn more.

Can I join the pool board if I’m not a member of the pool?

PP here, I honestly don't know the answer to that question, but I would assume you would need to be a member.

No you can't be on a board if you don't belong to the organization. Common sense.

[Anonymous]

I'm just amazed at these supposed pool members shooting down any and all ideas that would allow more Mount Rainier people to join their private pool.

More community days each week? No
Weight the wait list? No
Separate wait lists? No
Wait lists that give preference to those living within near the pool? No
Expand the pool with the city? No

It sure seems like this progressive pool wants to keep a whole lot of the communities out.