The Red Cross is in the hot seat after a number of pool-goers posted photographs of a “racist” poster on social media.
The poster in question, called “Be Cool, Follow the Rules,” shows children of different races playing together in a pool. The white children are shown diving and swimming, activities deemed “cool.” The children of color are pushing, running, and carrying beverages—and are labeled “not cool.”
One Twitter user called the poster “super racist.”
https://twitter.com/JSawyer330/status/745075509047005184
According to NBC affiliate KUSA, the poster is from a safe swimming campaign in 2014.
The Red Cross issued a statement on Monday apologizing for the poster, and said that it “was absolutely not [their] intent to offend anyone.” The humanitarian organization also noted that it had removed the poster from its website and Swim App, discontinued its production, and requested that its partner aquatics facilities also take it down.