Closing community pools in Dallas will add to a long list of city’s neglect

Over the years, families in southern Dallas have consistently made sacrifices for the betterment of our city. Unfortunately, these sacrifices often arise not from choice, but from neglect. One prime example of this neglect is our community pools.

In early June, our West Oak Cliff neighbors received the disappointing news that the Martin Weiss pool would be closed this summer, a significant loss for the neighborhood. More than a mere amenity, for many of us, it served as a vital resource for underserved families.

Making matters worse, Dallas Park and Recreation staff just proposed permanently closing all nine community pools, the majority being below Interstate 30, citing “disrepair” and “lack of capital investment in decades.”

In response to the proposed closure of community pools in June, District 1 council member Chad West expressed his “disappointment” and the city offered “free swim sessions” for families in West Oak Cliff at the Kidd Springs aquatic center. While his gesture is appreciated, it underscores a disconnect with the needs of West’s working-class constituents, a recurring issue in city leadership.

As someone who frequently visited the community pool as a child, I understand the appeal of its proximity —it allowed us to walk there while our parents were at work. My cousins, sisters and I would bring a half-empty package of deli meat and a few slices of bread to make a “sandwich taco” for our time at the pool.

With little to do in the summer, a short walk to the pool was a welcome escape from the harsh realities of our circumstances. Ironically, West, a proponent of walkability, fails to recognize that reaching the Kidd Springs aquatic center from neighborhoods around Weiss Park would require a 90-minute walk, making it impractical for children, especially in the sweltering Texas heat.

The proposed closures of community pools and the “transportation strategy” to transport youth to the nearest aquatic center render the city’s equity efforts as empty words.

Instead of making meaningful investments in our communities, the city is repeating outdated, vaguely crafted and ultimately ineffective policies.

As an alternative, public/private partnerships sound enticing; however, I don’t think it’s a sustainable option, especially if the economy faces a downward turn.

If we continue to tell ourselves we are a world-class city, then we must provide basic services. The city just passed a bond for Park and Recreation totaling more than $345 million, and no one considered how the bond could address the majority of community pools? Not to mention the leftover funds from the 2017 bond. This city doesn’t have a money problem, it has a priority problem.

Places like Martin Weiss Park and other community pools have been neglected since my father’s childhood. This neglect is not coincidental. Public pools, once symbols of community investment and social cohesion, have faced budget cuts and closures after becoming integrated. Weiss pool, unchanged for over 70 years, exemplifies the unequal distribution of resources in our city.

Brown and Black families still face massive inequities as a result of years of community disinvestment, and the data supports this. For example, a 2017 study by the University of Memphis and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas revealed that 79% of children from households earning less than $50,000 annually have limited or no swimming skills.

But this goes beyond swimming lessons. Having a pool also shapes our community’s overall health. According to a National Institutes of Health study, residential location significantly influences health, opportunities and lifespan. Nearly 10 million children reside in neighborhoods with limited opportunities across 100 U.S. metropolitan areas.

A majority of African American (66%) and Hispanic (59%) children inhabit neighborhoods classified as very low or low opportunity, according to the same study. In contrast, most non-Hispanic white (66%) and Asian (62%) children reside in neighborhoods categorized as high or very high opportunity. In short, having resources increases society outcomes for our youth. These disparities underscore how racial and ethnic differences contribute to varying health outcomes and economic opportunities.

It’s clear that strong policy changes are desperately needed to address these disparities and ensure equal opportunities for everyone. I urge council member West, Park Board members and city staff to keep all of our community pools open and begin planning the construction of new pools in underserved communities.

Meaningful action is long overdue to address the generational neglect our community has faced. Afterall, the oppressive heat our youth endure shouldn’t be compounded by the incompetence of our city.

Giovanni Valderas is a West Oak Cliff resident and former candidate for the Dallas City Council.

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