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Media Contact: Michael Tucker Jr. (202) 717-4242, [email protected]
Nolan Treadway (202) 257-5266, [email protected]
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Black History Month in the District means swimmers from across the country will compete at one of the longest-running minority swim meets in the world. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will host the 35th Annual Black History Invitational Swim Meet (BHISM) at the Wilson Aquatic Center (4551 Fort Drive, NW) from Friday, February 18 – Sunday, February 20.
The event will be closed to spectators due to COVID-19 restrictions and USA Swimming regulations. Fortunately, the meet will be streaming live for the first time in its storied history to allow parents and swim enthusiasts around the globe to enjoy the action.
The Black History Invitational Swim Meet was founded in 1987 by DPR and the United Black Fund, Inc. (UBF) with the mission of providing urban youth nationwide age 5-18 a positive outlet for expression, exposure to strong competition, a forum to meet positive role models, and the opportunity to visit the Nation's Capital. What began as a small, local competition is now recognized by USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport of swimming, as the "premier minority swim competition in the United States and the world."
The three-day annual event, jointly produced by DPR and UBF, attracts 40 swim teams from across the United States. Swimmers compete in standard swim events, such as the individual medley, freestyle, butterfly, relays, backstroke, and breaststroke.
For more information and to watch the 35th Annual BHISM, visit Blackhistoryswim2022.splashthat.com.
DPR Aquatic Centers will close for the 35th Annual Black History Invitational Swim Meet:
Wilson Aquatic Center will serve as the host site for the BHISM and will close on Thursday, February 17, at noon in preparation for the event and reopen on Tuesday, February 22, 2022. Deanwood, Marie Reed, and Rumsey Aquatic Center will remain open on Saturday, February 19, 2022. All other DPR aquatic centers will reopen on Tuesday, February 22, 2022. NOTE: All DPR facilities (including all aquatic centers) will be closed on Monday, February 21, 2022, in observance of Presidents’ Day.
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