A MOST BEAUTIFUL THING: BOOK REVIEW
“That’s right, there’s a crew team on the West Side, where you’re supposed to dunk basketballs, not coxswains.”
Arshay Cooper’s A Most Beautiful Thing is an engaging and thought-provoking autobiography that details the rise of America’s first all-black high school rowing team. Beginning in 1998, five boys at Manley Career Academy High School on Chicago’s west side accomplished more than making history in the crew world—they instilled hope into a situation of utmost desperation. Cooper’s chronicle is an emotional and dynamic journey through neglect, violence, and division turned brotherhood, perseverance, and resistance against structural limitations that destroy unity. Cooper’s tale exhibits that even the most divided situations are capable of unity and restoration.
He begins his tale by vividly describing the ‘zombies’ that haunted his childhood as they lurked in his home and his hallways. His use of chremamorphism is truly impeccable. Cooper uses this illustration as the storyline progresses into his teenage years, describing the seemingly irreparable division of his community. He describes the dark abyss of pain from his gang, death, and drug-ridden adolescence in ‘Holy City.’ He tells readers that, “it was like God existed everywhere but here.” Cooper’s story describes how he and his four teammates navigated the streets of their city and faced doubt and disapproval from both their competition and community as they defied stereotypes and the boundaries of social status.
Not once, but twice does Cooper write these following lines to express his emotions of self-doubt and alienation, and emphasize the power of brotherhood and unity through perseverance:
“My mind starts playing tricks on me, saying shit like you’re not built for balancing boats, callused hands, open water, and regattas—that I don’t belong in this ancient sport so long reserved for schools like Harvard and Yale, Oxford and Cambridge. Places light-years away from the West Side of Chicago. In this moment, I am in a tug-of-war game between the me in the boat and me the world expects. But I am not the only one fighting here.”
Cooper’s use of the present tense allows the book to read more like a novel than a reminiscent memoir, as he offers readers a personal look into his own emotions and perception of his environment. The amount of detail and vibrant imagery in this work made me feel as if I could hear the water moving with each stroke of the oar and feel the stillness of the gazes and stares from the other crew teams at the regattas.
As he details the dynamics of his community and his team, Cooper emphasizes the lack of trust that continues to divide people within communities and hinder growth. This explicitly exhibits itself in the team. Not only does mistrust disrupt the cohesion of the team, but it strains relationships and threatens lives on the streets. Within the rowing narrative, Cooper even offers insight on how the people and police of Chicago can gain each other's trust and work together rather than against each other.
Cooper utilizes rowing as a metaphorical and literal commentary of how a city can progress past its systemic and self-imposed lines of demarcation. The boat symbolizes a community, while the people inside represent division and different backgrounds. The water represents life and the oars emphasize that each person’s everyday choices directly impact their fellow community members. In order for a community to flourish and cross the finish line, the people inside of the boat must row together to navigate the challenges of the world around them. If not, they will never progress. They will only struggle and blame one another. Lack of trust hinders unity, and lack of unity hinders growth.
Teammates Arshay Cooper, Alvin Ross, Malcolm Hawkins, Preston Grandberry and Ray Hawkins Jr. prove that even those farthest apart from one another can come together with faith, trust, perseverance, and hard work. Cooper calls us to pick up our oars, step into the boat, and work together to navigate life’s tides and approach the finish line with honor and respect.
In a time where division and desperation seems to be at its highest, A Most Beautiful Thing emphasizes that despite the destruction and disunity in our homes, cities, states, nations, and world, we each have the capability to utilize our situation to grow, connect with, and encourage those around us. Cooper encourages us to learn from one another as we strive to row together.