The forgotten history of segregated swimming pools and amusement parks

A social historian outlines how segregation shaped public summer spaces—especially swimming pools and amusement parks—in both the North and the South. The article argues that exclusion of African Americans was often justified through stereotypes portraying Black people as diseased or threatening, along with claims that interracial mixing would lead to disorder. It cites incidents including white teenagers attacking Black swimmers in multiple cities, with examples such as nails thrown into pools in Cincinnati, bleach and acid poured into pools in St. Augustine, Florida, and assaults reported in Philadelphia. The piece also describes how, despite civil rights statutes, “safety” and “public order” arguments were used to deny access. It describes amusement parks along trolley and ferry lines as venues with intense fears of racial mixing.