I Don't Swim A Memoir

When Helen Miller was asked why she never joined her family in the water, she found herself contemplating the reasons she didn't swim. Most significant were opportunity and accessibility. Although her parents were part of the Great Migration of Black families to the North to escape racism and poverty, they did not have access to public or private pools or beaches. Helen considered that her parents' and her inability to swim was related to something bigger: the history of Black Americans. Helen Miller's story reflects her life's journey against the backdrop of that history, including the Civil Rights Movement and the continuing presence of racism. Yet, because of the love and support she received, she accomplished much in her lifetime, earning three degrees, practicing law, and serving sixteen years in Iowa House of Representatives. Helen's story describes not only what she's lived through and witnessed, but what she sees for the future: hope. As she tells her grandchildren, "Do your best because things have changed. You, too, can become president of the United States or anything else you want to be."