Black children drown almost three times as often as white and Latino children do, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That moved the YMCA of Greater Boston to create an urban swimming program that focuses on teaching poor black and Latino kids how to stay safe in the water. CEO Kevin Washington, who learned to swim at the Y when he was 9, says minority children who live in cities often don't take lessons because their families can't afford them or don't have access to a pool.
