REGIONAL BESTSELLER Now a documentary narrated by Common, produced by Grant Hill, Dwyane Wade, and 9th Wonder, from filmmaker Mary Mazzio The moving true story of a group of young men growing up on Chicago’s West side who form the first all-Black high school rowing team in the nation, and in doing so not only transform a sport, but their lives. Growing up on Chicago’s Westside in the 90’s, … Chicago’s Westside in the 90’s, Arshay Cooper knows the harder side of life. The street corners are full of gangs, the hallways of his apartment complex are haunted by drug addicts he calls “zombies” with strung out arms, clutching at him as he passes by. His mother is a recovering addict, and his three siblings all sleep in a one room apartment, a small infantry against the war zone on the street below.
Arshay keeps to himself, preferring to write poetry about the girl he has a crush on, and spends his school days in the home-ec kitchen dreaming of becoming a chef. And then one day as he’s walking out of school he notices a boat in the school lunchroom, and a poster that reads “Join the Crew Team”.
Having no idea what the sport of crew is, Arshay decides to take a chance. This decision to join is one that will forever change his life, and those of his fellow teammates. As Arshay and his teammates begin to come together to learn how to row–many never having been in water before–the sport takes them from the mean streets of Chicago, to the hallowed halls of the Ivy League. But Arshay and his teammates face adversity at every turn, from racism, gang violence, and a sport that has never seen anyone like them before.
A Most Beautiful Thing is the inspiring true story about the most unlikely band of brothers that form a family, and forever change a sport and their lives for the better.
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A little over a month ago, I hadn’t heard of this book. A colleague recommended it to me and kindly gifted me a copy. What a generous offer! I have to say, A Most Beautiful Thing by Arshay Cooper is easily one of my top three books for 2021. With a huge focus on diversity and inclusion both in my professional life and generally in society today, it’s timely and motivating. At the same time, it’s not pretending to be something for the sake of change and morality. The book, published several years ago, is simply a Black man’s recollection of what it was like in high school when he became one of the first Black rowers in a Chicago school.
I admit, I was initially worried. I tend not to enjoy books or movies or anything that focuses on the plight of someone who’s been marginalized, or far worse, because of race, color, sex, ethnicity, etc. I definitely will read or watch them so I don’t ever forget what humanity is unfortunately capable of (in a bad way), but I often fail to comprehend how it could happen. I believe in treating everyone equally and often can’t fathom how or why someone could intentionally or unintentionally harm another human being. All I ever do is think about the repercussions of my actions and how to include everyone equally. I find it difficult to read those stories, so they don’t make it to the top of my list. That said, it is FAR more difficult to live that life, and if someone who’s been biased against can push through it, so can I when it comes to reading an account. Man up, I tell myself.
BUT… this book is dozens of times stronger than that. Arshay Cooper just tells the story of about 18 months on the team–what went well, what didn’t go well, and how it turned out. To begin with, my eyes were opened to some of the things I hadn’t realized in the past, particularly how many gangs were on the streets of Chicago and how easily people were shot or killed for being in the wrong place. I mean… seriously… how does anyone think it’s acceptable to shoot a kid for wearing the wrong color on the wrong street that day. WTH? Without emphasizing things like this, Arshay simply explains what happened when he walked to school, or how he couldn’t use certain streets, or how it took an hour to get into school each morning because security guards had to check everyone for weapons. Imagine that’s your life every day. And your father is unknown. Your mother is a drug addict. Your three siblings need you. And you still have a happy and optimistic attitude each day?
This book shares the negatives aspects of life. It doesn’t shy away from drama, but it also had a bit of suspense even though it’s non-fiction. I kept waiting for something horrible to happen Arshay or his family. Someone to be shot or knifed… for him to be savagely beaten up. But the account is, while not uplifting, an opportunity to watch how someone goes beyond the horrors around him to find a way to be successful.
So… if you’re looking for a story that’s probably almost entirely all true and non-exaggerated, and you want to understand a different life without massive graphic details, you should give this one a chance. The language can sometimes be harsh, e.g. n-word, curses, sexual content… but just enough to provide realistic moments… not enough to cross any lines. Mature, older teens probably okay. I learned about rowing. I learned about gang life. I learned about love. I learned about forgiveness. I learned to take a chance and read something out of my norm.
Wow! What an inspirational individual. Arshay worked hard to become the boy and then the man. I cannot even pretend to know what his life was like. But, he took the little good he could find and then turned it around to be a lot of good to overcome the bad. Still so much to do but I admire people like this. An inspiration.
The author started life in a violent inner city area. He shared how he, and many youth caught in that situation, avoid the worst of that situation and why they are tempted to do otherwise. In his case, given the opportunity to travel, he grabbed it. Given a mentor who had an open door policy for the crew, he went through that door. And I liked that it didn’t have the happy “we won the title” ending but did have the “we won a better life” ending for most of the team, in particular the author.