DIVE IN DIVE IN

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SWIMMING IN OUR CITY’S HISTORY

STORY BY CHRISTINA HUGHES BABB AND EMILY CHARRIER

PHOTOS BY DANNY FULGENCIO

It is summer in Texas, our world is a sauna, everything’s sticky. The urge is fierce to cannonball into the nearest pool, splash around and soak up its chilly reprieve.

Since the early 1900s — through wars, economic booms and bustsdesegregation — citizens and city officials have sought to satisfy this aquatic yen.

As we wade into another sweltering season, neighborhood residents are bolstered by the Dallas Park and Recreation Department’s updated Aquatics Master Plan, which promises a sunny future for local swimming. Funded by its $31.8 million sale of Elgin B. Robertson Park at Lake Ray Hubbard last year, the park department anticipates major upgrades to nine of Dallas’ 17 existing public pools, including the one at Lake Highlands North and nearby Tietze Park. It’s a remarkable feat, according to former City Councilwoman Angela Hunt, who points out that as recently as 2014, the city intended to shutter both.

The plan at the time was one-size-fits-all and failed to take into account the varying popularity levels of neighborhood pools across the city, Hunt notes; she credits neighborhood residents with speaking up and city officials for listening and responding with dramatic changes to the program.

That passion for public pools has been evident throughout our city’s history, and it’s no wonder — pools have made Southern summers bearable, even downright enjoyable. And our approach to public swimming reflects the tensions and transformations our city has experienced.