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Howard University’s highly regarded Bison Swimming and Diving Team was recently featured in the latest episode of We Are Here, a compelling six-part PBS and WHUT TV docuseries that highlights Black excellence in underrepresented sports and activities. The episode focused on Howard’s head swimming coach, Nicholas Askew, and his unwavering commitment to fostering community and promoting swimming across racial lines.
Under Askew’s leadership, the team has been at the forefront of efforts to make swimming more inclusive, with programs like swim camps designed to educate both athletes and their families. Askew emphasizes the life-saving importance of swimming and the power of representation in encouraging more people to learn this essential skill, Swim Swam noted.
The need for increased diversity in swimming is especially critical in light of a 2017 study by the USA Swimming Foundation, which found that 70% of African Americans cannot swim. This statistic is tied to America’s history of segregation, which kept Black families from accessing public swimming pools for much of the 20th century.
In addition to his work on inclusion, Coach Askew has helped redefine the way swimming meets are approached.
In 2022, Howard hosted the first-ever Battle at the Burr, a dual meet against Georgetown that drew a crowd of 1,200 spectators. The event was a lively celebration, featuring a DJ, a dance troupe, and overflow seating in the gym, complete with large screens displaying the action. The success of the Battle at the Burr demonstrated that swim meets don’t have to be mundane affairs. Just as college football games have tailgates and college basketball fans camp out for tickets, Askew’s innovative approach showed that swimming can be exciting and community-centered. The event also raised funds for essential causes, including replacing outdated equipment and supporting student scholarships—blending sport, culture, and social purpose in a way that is reshaping the future of collegiate swimming.
Coach Nicholas Askew has also been a strong advocate for change in the swimming world through legislative reform.
In February, Maryland State Delegate Karen Toles introduced a bill requiring the state to establish a swimming elective curriculum for public schools in grades eight through 12. The bipartisan bill was discussed in a committee hearing in March, where Toles highlighted the critical need to address swim safety disparities, particularly in majority-Black communities. Askew provided the sole testimony for the bill via Zoom, Swim Swam reported, noting how barriers in the swimming world have posed dire risks for Black children and teens. According to the YMCA, 64% of Black American children cannot swim. Additionally, Black children are three times more likely to die from drowning than other races.
Howard University had a historic 2022-2023 season under Askew’s leadership, capturing their first conference title in 34 years. Their success, coupled with a record-breaking turnout at an early-season meet in 2022, caught the attention of Sports Illustrated, which featured the team. The article highlighted the legacy of Howard University, which is home to the only NCAA swim team at a historically Black university, and the feats made by Askew and his outstanding students over the last eight years.
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