FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO WIN SWIMMING TITLE-(And they say we can’t swim!)

I like this story because in Winston Salem NC the white people became outraged when we began to ask for a swimming pool because we had none in our in Community anymore. We used to have 4 swimming pools when I was young. I did an TV interview and the Racists in Winston Salem commented on the page things like 'let them go swim in the pond with the alligators' and even more horrible things. It was even spoken out of the mouths of people that you wouldn't expect that Black People don't swim. Well I do swim and we will prove you wrong every time you spew your racist remarks. We always come out on top too. *** NEWSONE Article~

Alia Atkinson Makes Swimming History With World Title! Alia Atkinson (pictured) was in total disbelief when it was announced she had won a gold medal in the 100m breaststroke at the World Short Course Championships in Doha, Qatar on Saturday. Atkinson also became the first black woman to win a world title in swimming, according to the BBC. The 25-year-old Jamaican-born swimmer, who placed fourth at the 2012 London Olympics and who had previously won three world short-course silver medals in the 50m and 100m breaststroke, tied for the world record with the reigning champ, Ruta Meilutyte from Lithuania. Meilutyte, who lost by a stroke Saturday, led right up until the halfway mark but Atkinson was hot on her trail, snatching victory to win by a tenth in 1:02.36. Meilutyte finished in 1:02.46 and the two women will now share the world record in the race, with the meet record going to Atkinson. Atkinson’s time tied Meilutyte’s world record of 1:02.36, which she won previously in Moscow. The first black woman swimmer to claim a world title victory also accomplished yet another first as the recipient of Jamaica’s first ever gold in world swimming championships. Atkinson’s historic win is reminiscent of Enith Brigitha’s (pictured in water) iconic victory in the 70s. She was the first black athlete to win a swimming medal in the Olympics. As one of Holland’s leading swimmers, the Willemstad, Curaçao-born Brigitha represented the Netherlands twice at the summer Olympics beginning in 1972. She received two bronze medals at the ’76 summer Montreal games in the women’s 100m and 200m freestyle events. And they say we can’t swim!