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It was a sight that ruined Lauren Cole’s childhood memories: cracked concrete filled with murky green water, overgrown weeds, and hundreds of waterbugs.
“This is hard to look at,” said Cole, now 71. It was the first time she’d returned to Whiteville’s Wedgewood Road pool in nearly two decades.
It wasn’t just the state of the pool itself. It was her understanding now that the place she loved in her youth was a symbol of racial division for others in her community. Today, the nearest public pools are at least an hour’s drive away.
Cole has spent the last four years leading an effort to revive not just the Whiteville pool, but other abandoned pools across Columbus County as community spaces.
In a piece published in collaboration with The Border Belt Independent, reporter Ben Rappaport and documentary photographer Tracy Watts explore why it’s about more than just summer fun and recreation.
The Abandoned Pools of Columbus County
Columbus County no longer has any public swimming pools—a reflection of racism, rural decay, and lost opportunity.
“We tried so hard,” Cole said. “I consider that my biggest failure in life: not being able to bring a pool back here.”
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ICYMI
Last week, we soft-launched our new higher education newsletter, The Quad.
The Quad will bring you news and insights on higher ed in our state, with both in-depth stories and updates about what’s happening in North Carolina’s vast landscape of public and private colleges and universities. We will let you know not just what’s happening, but why. And we’ll explore where higher ed intersects with our big themes of power and place.
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What We’re Reading
Carded: Why didn’t UNC field hockey phenom Erin Matson play in the Olympics? Well, it’s complicated, as The Athletic explains.
Rural Jurors: The New York Times gets to know the voters of Wilson County who are deciding which way our state will swing this election year.
Wood Shed: Beth Wood, the former state auditor and longtime Democrat, has endorsed Republican David Boliek over incumbent Jessica Holmes, WRAL reports. Gov. Roy Cooper appointed Holmes last year following Wood’s resignation.
Our Recent Stories
Take Me To The Water
In the six years since it was legalized in North Carolina, aquamation—or disposing of bodies through alkaline hydrolysis—has become an increasingly popular funeral rite.
Feeding An Army
Nearly one out of three Fort Liberty soldiers and their family members are food insecure. Can efforts to address it fill the gap?
The Last Dance of Tim Moore and Phil Berger
Republican legislators have failed to deliver on policy priorities, and some blame a diminished relationship between the House and Senate leaders.
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