The Red Cross is a wonderful organization. When there’s trouble, the Red Cross is there setting up shelters and handing out food and water. The Red Cross is normally very sensitive to the community needs around them, to boot. However, sometimes, something will slip through the cracks that just looks wrong. One of these things is the above poster. The Red Cross is now apologizing for a poster that’s been described as “super racist” by some.
Have you seen it yet? Take a careful look at the kids who are labeled “Cool” (safe) versus “Not Cool” (unsafe). All of the Not Cool kids are, well… not white. All the cool kids just happen to be white. Here’s the thing: the poster has been around for awhile. The poster was first put out in 2014, and it’s just now being noticed by the folks who hand around pools.
The Red Cross has apologized, and the Red Cross has removed the poster from both physical locations and their website. Still, I wonder just what graphic designer decided to make this poster more political than it needed to be.
Image via Jon Sawyer
Tags: red cross, red cross poster, red cross racist poster, red cross racist, red cross racism, racist swimming poster, red cross racist swimming poster, be cool follow the rules, be cool follow the rules racist poster, unusual posters, controversies