Six Teenagers Drown in Louisianas Red River: Whites Kept Blacks from Swimming Pools

Six teenagers from two families wading in Louisiana's Red River fell into deep water and drowned as their families watched. No one in the group could swim and only one life jacket was available. The Shreveport fire department was able to pull one 14-year-old boy to safety. CBS, never failing to play the race card, says few Blacks can swim because racism keep them out of swimming pools for decades.

Six Teenagers Drown in Louisiana

The victims ranged in age from 13 to 18 - three brothers from one family and a two brothers and a sister from another.

Swimming skills can be scarce among African-Americans like the teens in this tragedy. A study commissioned by the sports governing body USA Swimming found 69 percent of black children had low or no swimming ability. Segregation kept blacks out of public and private pools for decades and the disparity continues because many poor and working class children have limited access to pools or instruction.

The teens had started playing in a familiar area but ended up at a spot in the river where the bottom fell suddenly and that's where divers found the bodies, Sanders said.

These kids were under 20 years old. We haven't had segregated public pools for decades. They were with their parents, and the parents failed to protect their children by making them safe in water. Shame on CBS for making this a matter of racism.