Advocates discuss water equity ahead of Olympic swim trials

In conjunction with Indiana Humanities, Indy Sports Corp sponsored a panel entitled Deep Waters: A Critical Conversation on Water Access, Equity, and Safety in Indianapolis on April 18 at Kan-Kan Brasserie and Cinema. From left to right: Dr. Susan Hyatt, Marison Gouveia, Ebony Chappel, Kay Hawthorne, and Teigha Mae Vanhester. (Photo/Indy Sports Corp.) The conversation precedes the nine-day U.S. Olympic swimming trials, an event that is expected to draw nearly 50,000 tourists to the Circle City, lead to the building of three temporary swimming pools in Lucas Oil Stadium and encourage a multitude of events and activities in the weeks prior. While the actual trials will take place from June 15-23, the panel sought this opportunity to begin conversations about water access in Indianapolis, highlight initiatives to encourage swim lessons and address disparities and stereotypes that minorities face when learning to swim. “The themes of this talk are not unique to Indy,” said moderator Ebony Chappel, the executive director of Friends of Belmont Beach, a nonprofit dedicated to reinvigorating the swimming hole located in Central Indiana. The panel featured Kay Hawthorne, environmental justice director for Friends of the White River, Inc., Dr. Susan Hyatt, professor emerita of Anthropology at Indiana...