Kwesi and Nana Ruby Learn to Swim: From Water to Paper

Author Kobina Commeh, inspired by his daughters’ fearless approach to swimming, reflects on his own journey of overcoming fear in the water. In this thoughtful piece, he shares how writing Kwesi and Nana Ruby Learn to Swim helped him process personal and historical connections to Black swimming culture – and why access to swimming is so important for all communities.

My two heroes plopped into the deep end of the YMCA pool with a splash! I watched my older daughter glide effortlessly to the shallow end as the lifeguard followed along the edge. She had never swam in a pool deeper than three feet. Now she was navigating a nine foot deep pool with ease. Where was her fear? Did she not know the anxiety that can grip the legs like ankle weights and pull her to the bottom?

The next weekend, my younger daughter said she wanted to be like her sister and also pass her swim test. Plop! There she went, just like her sis, with no hesitation at all.

Freshly motivated by their enthusiasm, I continued my swimming lessons at the kiddie pool. I was conscious of being the only adult learning in the pool. But I swallowed my pride and focused on the progress.

Later, I remembered how brave my daughters were and decided to take on the deep end of the pool. Before that, I had many sleepless nights. Sadly, Mami Wata, the sea legend from Kwesi and Nana Ruby Learn to Swim, did not visit me as she did Kwesi. But I did swim across the pool with my arms and legs burning from the effort. I made it! It was not pretty, but this gave me the confidence to venture into the deep end more and more. What honestly helped was playing with my daughters every week during that summer. Their silliness and playfulness in the water was infectious. They love pretending to have tea parties under water.

This is the kind of joy and connection that the 70% of Black people who cannot swim are missing. Black children under 14 years old are 3 times more likely to drown. I wrote my picture book, Kwesi and Nana Ruby Learn to Swim, to help process my fear of the water and my grandmother’s ascension. What I achieved was a deeper connection with my daughters. I also learned how segregation of the pools and beaches had effects that reverberated through Black history. In writing Kwesi and Nana Ruby Learn to Swim, I realized how the rolling waves of segregated pools and beaches from the past still trickle down to the Black community today.

I applaud the organizations and communities that have increased access to swimming facilities and activities to people of color. Gentle encouragement and meeting people where they are is a good approach since the fear of water can be overwhelming. But once you cross that threshold, it’s amazing!

Swimming is an essential life skill, and potential life saver, that people of different mental and physical capabilities can enjoy. Its effects on physical and emotional health are beneficial to all people. So go ahead, dip a toe! After a few swim lessons, of course.

– Kobina Commeh

About the Author

About the Book