More than 900 competitors ascended upon the Takoma Aquatic Center in Washington, D.C. for the 36th annual Black History Invitational Swim Meet from February 17-19.

Co-founded in 1987 by the DC Department of Parks and Recreation and the United Black Fund, Inc. in honor of Black History Month, the Black History Invitational is the first swim meet in the nation to celebrate and highlight the contributions of African Americans.

The invitational was founded with the goals of providing urban youth nationwide with a positive outlet for expression, exposure to strong competition, a forum to meet positive role models and the opportunity to visit the nation's capital.

“My advice to others who are looking to plan an event like this is to identify and establish a team of people to work with before trying to host a meet of this size,” said Meet Director and Head Coach of the DC Wave Swim Team Robert Green. “The challenge I faced during my first few years as meet director was securing enough officials and volunteers to support the meet. Once we were able to identify a dedicated meet referee, we could recruit more officials and improve the overall operations of the meet.”

Teams of athletes ranging from 5-18 years old travel from Los Angeles, Atlanta, Detroit, Cleveland, New York and many other metropolitan areas for this event that grew from a small, local DC meet to one hailed as a premier minority-serving competition.

“As a member of the DC Wave Swim Team family for 12 years, the Black History Invitational Swim Meet has always been an incredible opportunity for swimmers of color from all over the country to participate in a high-quality, fun and exciting meet,” said DC Wave Booster Club President Kisha Clark. “The family-friendly environment is electric and inviting. The swimmers and families all have a great time.”

Joseph Johnson – father of three age group swimmers and coach with Potomac Valley swimming – considers the Black History Invitational a tradition, reuniting with old friends and creating new memories.

“This meet is our team's signature event. It allows me the opportunity to pridefully represent for our swim community, and embrace our culture at the same time,” Johnson said. “There are some teams that I only get to see once a year, at the Black History Meet, and it's always good to see old friends. The kids really get excited to participate in this meet. The joy on their faces when they drop time, or achieve a personal best – it really makes the sacrifices all season feel worthwhile.”

Of special note at the 2023 edition of the meet, Official Mike Miller was awarded his Potomac Valley Swimming 20 years of service name tag. Miller is the first DC Wave Official to hit the 20 years of service mark.

“Our officials are the unsung heroes of the Black History Meet,” Green added. “They provide me and the facility staff with feedback each year on how we can improve operations. Without them, the meet would not have survived as long as it has.”

Here’s to many more years of the Black History Invitational and to providing more competitive opportunities to the youth of our sport.

Meet results: http://pvswim.org/results.html

CBS Washington, D.C. story: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/more-than-800-swimmers-gear-up-for-the-36th-annual-black-history-invitational-swim-meet-in-dc/ar-AA17Gzmj?ocid=hplocalnews