I Don't Swim: A Memoir

“A warm story of Helen Miller’s life, played out against the backdrop of the nation’s civil rights struggles.”
—David Yepsen, Former host of Iowa Public Radio’s “Iowa Press”

When Helen Miller was asked why she never joined her family in the water, she found herself contemplating the reasons she didn’t swim.

Although Helen’s 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. She considered that her parents’ and her inability to swim was related to somethingbigger: the history of Black Americans.

Helen Miller’s story reflects her life’s journey against the backdrop of that history and the Civil Rights Movement. Despite the prevalence of racism in the United States, the love and support she received growing up instilled in her a vision of possibilities. Helen accomplished much in her lifetime, including the achievement of three degrees, practicing law, and serving sixteen years in the 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.”