Hidden Currents

In this episode, we dive beneath the water to explore why Black children are drowning more than any other race, why marginalized communities often lack access to swimming pools, how to stay safe among hidden currents. We hear about the alarming trend facing swimming pools in cities across the nation, relive a fight to save one Milwaukee pool, and walk the shores of Lake Michigan with the Beach Ambassador program

First, we meet Jumana Tanner. Jumana was a Wisconsin Sea Grant intern for the Beach Ambassadors program in the summer of 2021. Her job was to go to Bradford beach in Milwaukee during the busiest hours, and talk to people about what might be going on beneath the surface of the water.

Then we meet Brenda Coley, the co-executive director of Milwaukee Water Commons and a longtime activist in Milwaukee’s black community. She tells us about the dark history of water access and gives us a brief historical overview of how marginalized communities, especially lack communities, are affected by the lack of water accessibility. 

Then, we meet Wisconsin Sea Grant outreach specialist Dr. Deidre Peroff, who has researched swimming disparities since she started working at Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Milwaukee office in 2016. She helped create the new Beach Ambassador program, which fills a vital role on Milwaukee’s busy Bradford Beach..

Lastly, we meet Cheryl Bledsoe and Sally Callan, who protested the closure of the Schulz Aquatic Center  and tell us about their victorious, yet bittersweet win.

So, Let’s dive in.