Despite the stereotype that Black people can't swim, Lamonier became an avid swimmer in elementary school, going on to join her college swim team at York College in Queens, NY. 

Paulana Lamonier has made a home around the pool. Now she is doing the same for others. Lamonier started an organization called Black People Will Swim, with an aim at breaking down stereotypes. It started with a lesson for 30 people in New York.

Paulana Lamonier, 31, is teaching Black Americans to swim. According to a 2021 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black Americans are 1.5 times as likely to die from drowning as white Americans.

The New York native founded Black People Will Swim, a Long Island-based organization that aims to fight against racist tropes that most African-Americans don’t swim.

As a gamechanger in the Greater New York Area, Paulana works with her organization, Black People Will Swim, to smash the stereotype that Black people don’t swim.

The Long Island, N.Y., swim instructor began her program Black People Will Swim in 2019, and this summer has enrolled 80 participants for six-week summer classes.

Fed up with the racial disparities in swimming participation, the Black People Will Swim founder set out to improve the statistics.

The city has canceled free swim lessons and private swim programs are feeling the squeeze from a lack of lifeguards. One expert said: “Some of those kids are going to drown.”

The desire to swim didn’t change my address or income, and it certainly did nothing for the hours it tacked onto my wash days. But I’m finally returning to the pool.

“I can’t swim.” It’s a phrase that so many of us — myself included — have sheepishly used for years, oftentimes with no plans to remedy that reality.

Lamonier founded her company, Black People Will Swim, to not only teach members of the community to feel comfortable in the water but also address the racism that’s preventing so many people from learning that skill.

Reversing the traumatic effects of discrimination that kept Black families out of pools for generations isn't easy, but Black People Will Swim is stepping up.

Despite the many barriers that still persist, Paulana Lamonier founded Black People Will Swim (BPWS) to teach this life-saving skill in a safe, supportive environment.

One Long Island woman is making it her mission to teach African American people how to swim in hopes of smashing the stereotype that Black people cannot swim.

Black people have traditionally been overlooked. From fishing to skiing to swimming, these programs are all about having a good time while learning a new skill.

Travel Noire rounded up a list of Black-owned organizations that provide swim lessons for Black communities.

BPWS was selected as one of the three winners for Cricket Wireless' 2021 Jefes Del Futuro! 

Paulana Lamonier has one goal: putting an end to the stereotype that Black people can’t swim.

The grand-prize winner of Ally’s Daring to Disrupt contest invited Black people to overcome historical barriers and join her in the pool—and the response has been overwhelming.

For Paulana Lamonier, swimming is an act of liberation. However, she understands that for many Black people being in the water can be intimidating. 

PIX11 spoke with the founders of Black People Will Swim, Bundles of Joy NY, and Dancing Dreams about the differences they’re making in their neighborhoods. 

Black children today drown in swimming pools at a rate far higher than that of white children, studies have shown. Now new programs are working to overcome barriers...

Young Black adults and children are on average nearly three times more likely than whites to drown, but a Uniondale swim instructor has spent August helping change that statistic.

For the past year, Paulana Lamonier has built up a business to provide low-cost swimming education for Black children and adults.

Even though the pandemic slowed their progress, it’s still moving forward helping people F.A.C.E. their fears

Paulana Lamonier, founder of Black People Will Swim, joins us to discuss confronting stereotypes about Black people and swimming. 

A mother’s determination to end a legacy of racial trauma started with mother-son swim lessons

Lamonier had been working as a swimming instructor for nine years in New York before she decided to launch her own company, Black People Will Swim (BPWS).

Last year, Pine-Sol and ESSENCE awarded $250,000 to 10 Black women entrepreneurs through the Build Your Legacy Contest! Now we’re back for year two, and had to check in with our 2020 grand prize winners.

Being an entrepreneur is hard enough, but when you’re a member of a minority group, the challenges of launching and maintaining a successful business are even greater. 

Swim teacher and multimedia journalist, Paulana Lamonier, set up Black People Will Swim with one purpose: to eradicate the stereotype that Black people don’t swim. 

64 percent of African American children have low or no swimming ability.It’s a statistic that Paulana Lamonier, CEO and founder of Black People Will Swim, is striving to change.

Marysol Castro spoke with swim coach and founder of Black People Will Swim, Paulana Lamonier, about her mission and why it means so much to her.

Paulana is a multimedia journalist and founder of Black People Will Swim ~ a company on a mission to smash the stereotype that Black people don’t swim.

We’ve all heard the saying “Black people don’t swim” before, but it’s worth noting that statement is far from the truth. For years, the well-known stereotype has perpetuated the racial...

Paulana Lamonier was certainly on to something when she launched her company Black People Will Swim in 2019.

When it comes to Black women changing the game and making a difference, its Paulana Lamonier for me. For decades, the idea of Black people swimming has been quite taboo.

Black People Will Swim aims to dismantle the long-standing myth that Black people can't swim using everything from private swim lessons to haircare classes for protecting Black hair in the water.

Black People Will Swim was started by journalist Paulana Lamonier with the mission to dismantle stereotypes around Black people swimming. 

Check out the video of ESSENCE and Pine-Sol's Build Your Legacy Contest Semi-Finalist, Paulana Lamonier of Black People Will Swim. Vote today!