Wade in the Water: Drowning in Racism

From seaweed to lost beach balls, sun-seekers bump into all sorts of surprises swimming along Florida’s iconic beaches. For Black swimmers, however, there’s a complex history floating off Florida’s blue waters — one of segregation and violence, but also one of protest and resistance. That’s what Miami filmmaker Cathleen Dean explores in her new documentary, Wade in The Water: Drowning in Racism. Diving deep into Black Florida’s fight for the right to swim, the film brings to life the 1960s civil rights protests that desegregated the state’s beaches and swimming pools.

Supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.