In this September 1938 photo, a kid stands poised at the end of a diving board at the Rosewood swimming pool. Photo: Ellison Photo Service via Austin History Center
Reaching a high of 94 degrees (per National Weather Service records), Sept. 8, 1938 was warm enough that many Austin kids headed to their local public pool for a dip.
Why it matters: The kids in the photo above couldn't go to Barton Springs Pool — which was not desegregated until 1962.
Instead, they could visit the pool at Rosewood Park in the "Negro District," as it was known in Austin's 1928 master plan.
Flashback: The plan forced the city's Black population out of their homes — including by terminating residents' utility services — and into a portion of East Austin, which further segregated the city.
The big picture: It's Black History Month, and we're thinking about the many ways Black Americans have shaped — and have been shaped — by Austin.
