The Desegregation Of Montclair's Public Pools: Panel Talk Will Discuss Local History

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Montclair Public Library. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The history of America’s public swimming pools is not smooth. After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, many local governments across the country drained and filled their community pools with dirt—depriving all their residents of sweet summer relief rather than integrate. It was such a common occurrence that Heather McGhee, author of the 2022 landmark social justice bestseller, “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together,” uses “drained pool politics” as a metaphor for policies that are bad for everyone, not just people of color.

How did Montclair’s public pools survive and thrive?

On Thursday, July 16, at 2 p.m., the Montclair Public Library will be hosting “A Deep Dive into the Desegregation of Montclair’s Pools: A Panel Discussion,” delving into the history of Montclair’s three community pools and how they opened to all of the township’s residents.

On Thursday, July 16, at 2 p.m., the Montclair Public Library will be hosting “A Deep Dive into the Desegregation of Montclair’s Pools: A Panel Discussion,” delving into the history of Montclair’s three community pools and how they opened to all of the township’s residents. Participants include Lonnie Brandon, the township’s longtime director of parks and recreation, Roger Terry, former deputy mayor and deputy police chief and Angelica Diggs, director of the Montclair History Center. Dionne Ford, a local journalist and author of “Go Back and Get It, A Memoir of Race, Inheritance, and Intergenerational Healing,” will serve as moderator. A question and answer period will follow the discussion. The program is free but registration is requested. Register here. The event is co-presented by the Montclair History Center.

“We’re excited to be exploring Montclair’s history with people who helped shape it,” says Library Director Radwa Ali. “Come to ‘A Deep Dive’ and check out the rest of the programs in our community read of ‘The Sum of Us’!”

Montclair Reads “The Sum of Us” is a community read co-sponsored by Partners for Health Foundation from now through October. The culminating event will be a free public conversation between Heather McGhee and Michelle Alexander (“The New Jim Crow”) about “The Sum of Us” on Tuesday, October 13, at 7 p.m. Registration is free and required. Register here.

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