โThis isnโt a bunch of Black people in a pool,โ remarks Nic Askew, the coach of the all-Black swim team at Howard University. โItโs young Black men and women succeeding in a sport that, for years, has shut them out of this experience.โ For Sports Illustrated, Robert Sanchez spends time with Askew, a 44-year-old Howard alum and record-setting swimmer who agreed to take over the universityโs swimming program. An inspiring coach, Askew has slowly but steadily breathed life into the program, creating, reports Sanchez, โarguably the most electric collegiate swimming environment in the U.S.โ
Today, Black Americans are 5.5 times more likely to drown than white ones, and historically, racism has made pools across the U.S. โ and swimming as both a sport and leisurely activity โ less accessible to Black communities. While other HBCUs have cut programs over the decades, Howardโs swim program still stands, and stands proudly.
Askew is a font of positivity, a never-ending seeker of the good thatโs just around the corner. Itโs an attitude that dates to his time two decades ago as a record-setting swimmer and all-conference tennis player at Howard. โHe always wants to know whatโs next,โ says King, Askewโs former teammate, who once starred as a distance freestyler. โAnd heโs bringing you with him.โ Askew often talks about overflowing cups, about using his cup to fill othersโ, about the big idea he has for the Bison pool, about the teamโs schedule, about winning, about the idea that Americaโs only all-Black college swim team could become a touchstone for underserved communities across the country.