“Maybe I can succeed like these coaches are telling us.  Despite everything, I still believe in seizing the moment and that an opportunity is a gift.” – A Most Beautiful Thing

What It’s About

This is the true story of how Manley High School’s ground breaking all black rowing team on Chicago’s West Side in the 1990’s came to be. Written from the perspective of Arshay Cooper, one of team captains, “A Most Beautiful Thing” chronicles the amazing obstacles these boys had to climb.  Most of them weren’t able to swim, didn’t have proper clothing, and weren’t able to afford proper nutrition.  Most hadn’t even heard of rowing.  But rowing offered a way out. Away from the only life they knew that was daily filled with gang violence, drugs, and fear.

“As a black man looking at other young black men, you may say to yourself ‘I can’t swim! I don’t do water!’ We will teach you, because every time you conquer a fear, life gets a little less scary.”

My Thoughts

The stories vacillate between heartwarming, shocking, and heartbreaking as you witness kids from rival gangs, different religions, and broken homes rise up and come together to compete.  They tour college campuses, train in gyms, and learn to swim.  I had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that this took place in the ‘90s and not the 60s because of some of the racism they encounter. At one point they had trouble being admitted to a restaurant for food! In 1990!!  But overall, the coaches believe in them and it encourages these boys to believe in themselves.  They begin to want more and start to think they can really get it if they work hard enough. 

Now a film narrated by @common, produced by @realgranthill & @dwaynewade with music by @9thwonder that is set to come out July 31.  When it comes to adaptations, do you usually like the book or the movie better?  I’m usually a girl who always likes the book better, but this will definitely be a movie that I’ll want to see!

Click here to follow more of Arshay’s journey. Click here to get more details about the upcoming film.