A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America's First All-Black High School Rowing Team

While the sport of competitive rowing dates back several centuries, in the United States its history is much shorter. The first competitive rowing events in the United States took place as a form of entertainment and wagering among eastern ferrymen. Soon, rowing became a favorite pastime of the wealthy during the Gilded Age, and boat clubs were formed along the Eastern Seaboard. In 1852, the first collegiate rowing competition was held between Harvard and Yale, leading other Ivy League colleges and other schools in New England to form teams and compete. By 1900, when rowing became an official Olympic event at the Games of the II Olympiad, a governing body for collegiate rowing had been established and an annual regatta took place.

Because rowing had gained such popularity among elites in the late 19th century and because it became a favored sport for Ivy League students, it quickly developed a reputation as a sport primarily for the affluent. That reputation still exists today as rowing sees its greatest participation levels among youth at private high schools. In his memoir, A Most Beautiful Thing, author Arshay Cooper addresses this socioeconomic aspect of rowing as he tells the story of the formation of America’s first all-African American public school crew team. In Chapter 4, when a friend asks Cooper about the school’s rowing team, he explains to her that “it’s a white sport” (39). When she asks him to clarify what he means, he responds that “black sports are the ones that are cheap to play. Like all you need is a ball or glove. White sports cost a lot and require boats, ergs, or horses” (39).

Cooper’s simplified explanation of “Black sports” and “white sports” is basic but a generally common opinion. It has long been accepted as fact that the reason why athletes of color and the less affluent are more common in sports such as boxing, basketball, soccer, and football is because those sports can be played by children with very little equipment and without a specially designed area. Sports such as golf, tennis, rowing, and equestrianism represent the opposite in that one must have specialized, often expensive equipment and a specific area in which to play that often requires membership or other fees.

A Most Beautiful Thing challenges the notions of “Black sports” and “white sports” by showing what happens when opportunity and guidance are offered. While the story of the Manley crew team does shatter the stereotypical notion that rowing is only a sport for the affluent, it is important to note that the experience took place only because the opportunity was offered. Ken Alpart, a financial trader and former Ivy League rower, came up with the idea to start a rowing program at a public school on Chicago’s West Side and approached a number of schools with the idea but was rejected repeatedly until Manley Career Academy agreed. In starting the program, Manley, Alpart, and the team not only opened the doors to a new sport for kids but also played a part in growing the sport.