September 9, 2020. As a former rower myself, this story really caught my atteniton and inspired me. A new documentary, A Most Beautiful Thing, shares the story of the Manley High School crew team, the first black high school rowing team in the US and how rowing helped addressed gang violence in Chicago in the early 2000s. The team's reunion and preparation for the 2019 Chicago Sprints included a new element of community healing, police officers.
Skyler Aikerson reports on the film in the June 2020 issue of Chicago magazine, in his article A crew to remember.
NBC's Kate Snow shares the story of the unique partnership with the Chicago Police Department in her story, Rowing Together for Change (video below).