By Lynn Jones | Statistically African Americans are low on the totem pole when it comes to learning how to swim. The reasons are either trauma from a pool experience when they were young, a near death experience, laziness or holding on to the myth that blacks do not swim! For more than five years, The Shawn Delifus Foundation has been boots on the ground teaching all ages how to swim. Classes are held at the Johnson Family YMCA during the summer months and has taught more than 500 individuals swimming lessons. To celebrate the adult graduates, Joyce Delifus and her team held a Black History Month modeling day. Guest host was renowned model Darletha P. LeSesne who recently graduated from the adult swim class.
“I’m so excited I finally know how to swim. I was always uncomfortable around water; not no more!” said LeSesne.
The fashion show featured the adult students that graduated with LeSesne for a day to stand up and present their swimming testimony. Each model confidently spoke of their lifelong accomplishment of learning how to swim. WJXT News Anchor Amanda Devoe spoke to the audience on her near death drowning experience as a young child. To combat her fears, Devoe took swim lessons and is now an accomplished swimmer.
“Learning to swim was a challenge. But I got over my fears and now I’m swimming like a fish,” DeVoe said. The Delifus Foundation has recently increased their class number from 18 adults registered to 78 adults on their requested swim lesson roster. The Foundation has raised enough for over 200 children and adults to swim for summer 2025 activities. Shown L – R are the models: Dina Bernard, Darletha LeSesne, Cynthia Barlow, Evangeline Worthy, Melinda Henry, Ronald Simmons, Ricky Stanford, Shalanda Simmons, Cynthia Jackson-Toombs and Mary Shafter.
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