God Bless The Child...

Remember the 60+ kids from Creative Steps Day Camp in Philadelphia who were turned away from The Valley Swim Club in Huntingdon Valley, PA earlier this summer? Well, they had their much publicized all-expense paid trip to Disney World this past weekend (August 1st-3rd), thanks to actor and producer Tyler Perry. He met and greeted the children (along with their parents) at Disney Quest upon their arrival on Friday afternoon, July 31st. It has been reported that Tyler was more overwhelmed by the experience than the kids were and he posted the following message on his website:

A Child Shall Lead Them... 07/31/09

I went down to Orlando today to greet the 65 kids from Philly at Disney World.

I gotta tell you, I thought I was giving them a gift, and boy was I wrong. These beautifully faced children of all shades brought tears to my eyes. I'm still feeling it as I think about them. They had so much hope, and they were so excited and happy, it was as if nothing bad had ever happened to them in their lives.

I prayed with them and I challenged them to do well in school. Then I asked a question, I asked, "if one black person robs a bank, does that mean all black people will rob a bank?" They said no. Then I asked them, "if one white person is mean and disrespectful to them, will all white people be mean and disrespectful to them?" They said no, and I was so happy to hear that! I went on to tell them that there was good and bad in all of us, so we are all the same - black, white or whatever. I asked them not to judge everyone by what a few people do to them. I think they got it. I think they understood my point.

Part of my prayer for this situation is that the parents, not only at the Valley Swim Club, but also the parents of these children will walk away with what I walked away with after being with them. Children are resilient. They don't hold on to things, they will mostly take time on the positions and opinions of their parents. And we need to be smart enough as adults to teach our kids to judge by character and not by race. I think they got it. Let's hope we ALL do. It was beautiful...

Apparently, Tyler Perry was so angry about the recent incident between these 60+ inner-city day campers (mostly Black and some Hispanic) and the private suburban swim club, that he decided to send all of them to Disney World for a few days. Further, he wanted them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at them, there are millions more who will do something kind for them.

Creative Steps Day Camp and The Valley Swim Club have been caught up in a national media frenzy and legal battle (class-action lawsuit) ever since early July because of "alleged" racial discrimination. The day camp paid $1,950 to the swim club for the use of their pool on Mondays during the summer. However, after the campers arrived on the first day to use the facility, some members complained and the club revoked the camp's privileges to swim there and promptly refunded their money.

Several of the campers said that they heard some of the members making racial remarks while they were there, which the members later denied. The swim club president only made matters worse with some of his subsequent remarks, which he later claimed was taken out of context. He explained that the incident had nothing to do with race but rather, overcrowding at the pool and he publically apologized for the “misunderstanding”. Senator Arlen Spector (D-PA) responded to the incident and asked the U.S. Department of Justice to look into the matter. After much protest and media attention, the swim club invited the kids from Creative Steps (and two other day camps that were turned away under the same questionable circumstances) to come back and use the facility but, the camp declined.

I commend Tyler Perry for the kindness and generosity that he has shown the kids (and parents) of Creative Steps Day Camp. While this saga has simmered down somewhat in the media, you can rest assured that it continues to rage on behind the scenes and top stories of the day, as well it should. Right after this incident occurred, I told my hubby (and now, fellow blogger) over at Keith's Space about it and he was livid. Some of you may recall his post about the incident. I followed some of the online discussion that took place for a few days on our local NBC10 News website. I was thoroughly appalled and disgusted at the comments going back and forth between people of all races and the amount of blatant, vile hatred that is still very much alive and well in this so-called "City of Brotherly Love" and its surrounding suburbs. Ironically enough, when I checked the national MSNBC News website, the comments were much more tempered, sympathetic, and supportive of the children. But, unfortunately, the place that these kids call home (Philadelphia), was nothing but a cesspool of bigotry, ignorance, and intolerance. And yes, there were even those who begrudged any consideration and/or concessions being given to these kids, following the ordeal.

It is my understanding that Creative Steps Day Camp has made other arrangements for the kids to go swimming. Girard College and others, offered the use of their pool to accommodate them during the summer. They also received an invitation from a local shop owner to stop by for some free ice cream, to help soften the blow. As soon as the story aired locally, it took on a life of its own and within 24 hours, it was reported on the national news. As I take a moment to think ahead, I wonder where these kids will be swimming next summer or the summer after that even, when all of the media attention has died down? I sincerely hope that other prominent black entrepreneurs, entertainers, politicians, sports figures, etc. with the "ways and means" to follow Tyler Perry's lead, will pull together some financial resources and provide these kids with a pool that they can permanently call home. A weekend trip to Disney World was a great beginning but, there is "work" to be done. I say... God bless the child that's got their own (pool).