More like all hand on dick . <| sep |> Oh , like you wouldn ' t have taken a selfie with Jesus . Pshaw . <| sep |> Colourpop , for sure . I ' m also considering the ABH sale . <| sep |> I agree with your definition of swimming is being able to propel yourself to safety in still water without running out of breath . Unless its a short distance , this requires you to be able to get your nosemouth of the water from time to time to breathe . Some body types just won ' tcan ' tdon ' t float without a floatation assist device . By float , I specifically mean being able to keep nosemouth above water with filled lungs , body positioning andor mechanical lift from armleg action . That body type is disproportionately more common among blacks , compared to whites . It ' s indeed a minority even among blacks but I think people underestimate how common it is . The next level up can float with extreme measures . This group can learn to swim with lots of effort and proper training . But the fear of drowning is real and justified here . Given the commitment it requires time , effort and money for a good trainer , many people who fall in this category just don ' t bother to learn , or give up or are too afraid . Again blacks due to physiology are disproportionately over represented in this group . The next level up are those that float relatively easy or even better sometimes very easily like my gf , and swimming is just a matter of getting over irrational fears and calmly learning proper techniques . This is where most people fall especially white people . Learning to swim is easy when you literally can ' t drown unless you swallow a lung full of water . TLDr blacks not swimming is a combination of biology disproportionately having body types that ' s worse for swimming including the extremes that won ' t float period and socioculturaleconomic less opportunities to learn , just not something they prioritized growing up . I think the former is often understated in favor of the latter when looking at the reason they don ' t .