Black History Month, celebrated annually in February, honors Black and African American individuals throughout history. As we prepare for Paris 2024, we reflect on the influential role Black and African American athletes, coaches, officials, and countless volunteers play in shaping the tradition of American swimming dominance in competitions across the world. 

Black athletes boast a long list of swimming accomplishments, but they all have unique local origin stories. Every swimmer needs to join that first team before winning that first medal or setting that first record. And coaches play an integral role in shaping their athletes’ initial love for the sport. USA Swimming is proud of Coach Jim Ellis, who founded the first Black swim team in the country in 1971 – the Philadelphia Department of Recreation swim team (PDR). Profiled in the 2007 feature-length film Pride, Ellis set the stage for accessibility to swim teams in diverse communities. 

USA Swimming aims to build on Ellis' work with our Community Swim Team Partnership program, providing competitive opportunities and services to outreach athletes, coaches, and teams. Extending access to USA Swimming's resources to local parks and recreation programs has not only opened new opportunities for athletes but has grown the pipeline of coaches and increase resources available to the community. In 2023, the program added the City of Indianapolis and the City of Los Angeles to provide impactful opportunities as we approach the upcoming 2024 Olympic Trials in Indianapolis and 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) had a rich history in aquatics, but over the years Howard University, led by Coach Nic Askew has become the only program with a swim team. Together with OneAmerica Financial, USA Swimming is committed to providing up to $1 million in grants to support HBCUs interested in starting youth water safety lessons and expanding university-based swim clubs.  

Anticipating a historic Olympic Trials this summer in Indianapolis, USA Swimming looks forward to hosting a swim meet in an NFL stadium for the first time. Olympic Trials has always been a stage for firsts, which holds true for Chris Silva who became the first Black swimmer to compete in a U.S. Olympic Trials in 1984. Before competing at the Trials, Silva was the first Black athlete to earn a spot on the USA Swimming National Team and the first to represent the United States in an international competition.  

An "Olympic Summer" often requires rewriting the world and American record books. American records are a coveted honor in swimming and can culminate decades of dedication. Sabir Muhammad became the first Black swimmer to set an American record at the 1998 NCAA Championships in the 100yd butterfly. He set 10 American records throughout his career and was the first African American to win a medal at a major international competition at the 2000 FINA Short Course Worlds in Athens. Looking to continue his lifelong dedication to increasing accessibility to the sport, Muhammed was elected to the USA Swimming Board of Directors in 2023 and is focused on driving diversity throughout the sport’s membership.

Finishing fifth in the 100m freestyle at the Olympic Trials in 2000, Anthony Ervin became the first African American to make a U.S. Olympic swim team. He finished second in the 50m freestyle later in the meet, adding the first African American individual event qualification. At the Sydney Games, he became the first African American to win gold in a swimming event, and 16 years later, he added another gold at the Rio Games. Ervin cemented his legacy in the pool but continues to serve USA Swimming as a member of the Board of Directors. 

USA Swimming boasts a storied legacy of accomplished female athletes, and among them, Maritza McClendon stands out for her significant contributions both in and out of the pool. In a groundbreaking achievement in 2004, McClendon became the first African American female to make the U.S. Olympic swim team and medal. McClendon swam for U.S. Olympic Swim coaches Peter Banks and Jack Bauerle, was a 27-time All American, an 11-time NCAA champion, an American Record breaker in the 50y and 100y freestyle, and is the first Black swimmer to set a World Record. Beyond her athletic accomplishments, McClendon continues to be a champion for diversity and inclusion for our sport. In recognition of her dedication, she was honored with the USA Swimming Diversity and Inclusion award in 2013.

In 2012, USA Swimming embarked on a historic partnership with Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., one of nine historically Black fraternities and sororities, launching the Swim 1922 initiative. Over the last decade, Swim1922 aimed to positively impact drowning rates and increase swim participation in Black and Brown communities. With McClendon as the spokeswoman, Swim1922 has brought over 300 clinics to 28 of the 50 states, impacting over 50,000 lives as Sigma Gamma Rho embodies their commitment to their motto, “Greater Service, Greater Progress.” In 2017, Sigma Gamma Rho became the first African American organization to be a presenting title sponsor for the 2017 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships.

As a member of the 2008 Men's 4x100m freestyle relay, largely regarded as the greatest race in Olympic swimming history, Cullen Jones will always be synonymous with American swimming resiliency and determination. The first Black male swimmer to set a World record, Jones was a member of two U.S. Olympic teams bringing home 4 Olympic medals and broke the American record in the 50m freestyle at the 2009 U.S. National Championships. Incredibly, those accomplishments are just part of his impact on the sport of swimming. Jones is a USA Swimming Foundation Ambassador and member of the USA Swimming Foundation Board of Directors. Sharing his story from a near-drowning experience in his youth to Olympic gold highlights swimming as the only sport that can save your life. His efforts to increase access to swimming lessons in partnership with the USA Swimming Foundation are second to none. 

In 2020, working with Jones and other Board members, USA Swimming and the USA Swimming Foundation introduced the Community Impact Grant program to increase competitive opportunities at USA Swimming member clubs. Selected programs receive $5,000 grants, eligible for renewal annually for up to three years. To date, the program has provided $315,000 to 32 member clubs nationwide. Apply for a Community Impact Grant here before February 16, 2024. Learn more about the program here.  

The USA Swimming Foundation is not the only organization working towards equity and inclusion in aquatics. In 2022, USA Swimming forged a significant four-year partnership with Diversity in Aquatics (DIA), an organization committed to uniting diverse stakeholders in the aquatic community to elevate the critical importance of water safety. Guided by the leadership of Dr. Miriam Lynch, the Executive Director of DIA and a Howard University Swimming alum, this collaboration aims to empower USA Swimming in addressing pressing issues such as justice, access to water, and equity and inclusion. Together, they will work on developing targeted initiatives, supporting USA Swimming Community Impact grant recipients and Community Swim Teams by building essential resources, and crafting outreach materials grounded in community-based efforts. Both Maritza McClendon and Cullen Jones are on the DIA Board of Directors.

Another shining example for Black girls and women in swimming, the trio of Simone Manuel, Lia Neal, and Natalie Hinds made history at the 2015 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving National Championships. Their 1-2-3 finish was the first time Black swimmers swept the podium at the NCAA Championships. Neal was also the first Black woman to swim in the final heat at an Olympic Games and the first Black woman to swim in multiple Olympics. Manuel became the first Black American woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming, setting multiple NCAA and American records. Natalie Hinds left an indelible mark on Olympic history in 2021, clinching bronze as a vital part of the 4x100m freestyle relay team in Tokyo.

As we turn our attention to Paris, Coach Anthony Nesty will be continue to make history as the first Black coach to be named the head coach of the 2024 men's Olympic swim team. As the first Black swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal in 1988 for his native, Suriname, he brings incredible experience and perspective to the team. His leadership will help guide the next chapter of Black swimming history with athletes like Shaine Casas, David Curtis, Natalie Hinds, Simone Manuel, and Dare Rose looking to add to the rosters and record books full of Black history in swimming. 

USA Swimming and the USA Swimming Foundation are committed to creating more opportunities for athletes from under-represented communities in the sport we love. Swimming, more than any other sport, provides physical and emotional health benefits and an undeniable sense of community and purpose.