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Glideee wooosh, glide, wooosh. I always marveled at the sheer beauty of the Housatonic. Even today, I can feel the bends of the river and hear the pitter patter of water droplets falling from our oars as we glide together towards the catch position.
I cherished my experience rowing at Kent, but I cannot say it always cherished me. I remember looking at the pictures on the walls of the gym. They documented every crew team in the last forty some years. All I saw was white faces. Kent’s history of rowing is magnificent, but it also stands as a memoir to privilege, the two institutions are undeniably linked. Favoritism existed, racism existed, and even something as small as my coaches and teammates' tendency to call me “Dave” instead of my real name, Daven, reflected a hidden desire to uphold the white standard of the program. I was most surprised to see my name on important race program as “Dave” and questioned how my coach could make such an error. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. Behind closed doors, I had racist teammates. I stood in opposition to them as they would play Johnny Rebel, a white supremacist singer, in the locker room after practices. The lyrics of those songs enraged me, and yet, I felt I had no power in changing it. I was the clear minority of that group and did not feel supported enough by my superiors or teammates to generate change.
Even more of an issue, the unspoken dynamics of the cafeteria. People would say to you, “oh, tables are organized by sport”, but that was just a neat and easy cover up. My senior year, in addition to rowing, I was a member of the varsity basketball team. Through this, I was able to get a much better understanding of what it meant to be a student of color at Kent. My experience was just my experience and I can only speak for what I saw, but what I saw was a divide between the basketball team and rowing team that could have spanned the Grand Canyon. Never in my time at Kent did I sit at a cafeteria table with teammates from both teams. Why?!
At the time, I had no way of knowing how to bridge that divide. I was grateful that my mixed race identity allowed me to tightrope across the canyon, gaining membership status in both groups, but my true wish is to fill that canyon with sand so that future Kent students may have a more inclusive and accepting Kent experience.
When I say "sand", it is just a metaphor; in reality, the sand Kent needs is a top down program to push the narrative of change. Those who endure injustice often know very clearly what has been done to them. However, in order to be heard, they need the support of a superior, someone who stands in status greater than both the oppressed and the oppressor. We need the coaches, teachers and principals to hear us and to support us. I firmly believe that through tactful use of power, we may be able to start moving towards what is right and just. And in this movement, we would create a better future, one filled with more understanding, more acceptance and above all, more JOY!
I have struggled in knowing how to best tackle these issues. However, I feel the first step is conversation. I know my experience at Kent is not unique and extends to many other schools and to the institution of rowing. By sharing my experiences, I hope to generate a space for more dialogue. This problem is not going away on it’s own and I firmly believe it is time for a change.
Because America runs from its past and from racial justice, I have decided to run a marathon for racial justice and I will be doing so alongside my good friend, teammate, brother, Wes Gordon. I believe that now is the time to challenge old beliefs, and by sharing my story, I hope to inspire others to take on the challenge of thinking critically about how race shapes the sport of rowing and how it has shaped and continues to shape our American history.
This issue stretches across all of America and my experiences at Kent serve to highlight the broader issue of racism in America.
Please consider donating to support me in my cause. All proceeds will go directly to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Additionally, you can follow and watch the marathon unfold on my instagram story on June 27th. I will be running the marathon in New York. If you are willing and able, I ask that you donate $1, $2, $3, $4 or even $5 for every mile that I will run. Thank You! Whatever you are able to give, your recognition of the issue and display of support is greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Daven K.C. Rajesh
I cherished my experience rowing at Kent, but I cannot say it always cherished me. I remember looking at the pictures on the walls of the gym. They documented every crew team in the last forty some years. All I saw was white faces. Kent’s history of rowing is magnificent, but it also stands as a memoir to privilege, the two institutions are undeniably linked. Favoritism existed, racism existed, and even something as small as my coaches and teammates' tendency to call me “Dave” instead of my real name, Daven, reflected a hidden desire to uphold the white standard of the program. I was most surprised to see my name on important race program as “Dave” and questioned how my coach could make such an error. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. Behind closed doors, I had racist teammates. I stood in opposition to them as they would play Johnny Rebel, a white supremacist singer, in the locker room after practices. The lyrics of those songs enraged me, and yet, I felt I had no power in changing it. I was the clear minority of that group and did not feel supported enough by my superiors or teammates to generate change.
Even more of an issue, the unspoken dynamics of the cafeteria. People would say to you, “oh, tables are organized by sport”, but that was just a neat and easy cover up. My senior year, in addition to rowing, I was a member of the varsity basketball team. Through this, I was able to get a much better understanding of what it meant to be a student of color at Kent. My experience was just my experience and I can only speak for what I saw, but what I saw was a divide between the basketball team and rowing team that could have spanned the Grand Canyon. Never in my time at Kent did I sit at a cafeteria table with teammates from both teams. Why?!
At the time, I had no way of knowing how to bridge that divide. I was grateful that my mixed race identity allowed me to tightrope across the canyon, gaining membership status in both groups, but my true wish is to fill that canyon with sand so that future Kent students may have a more inclusive and accepting Kent experience.
When I say "sand", it is just a metaphor; in reality, the sand Kent needs is a top down program to push the narrative of change. Those who endure injustice often know very clearly what has been done to them. However, in order to be heard, they need the support of a superior, someone who stands in status greater than both the oppressed and the oppressor. We need the coaches, teachers and principals to hear us and to support us. I firmly believe that through tactful use of power, we may be able to start moving towards what is right and just. And in this movement, we would create a better future, one filled with more understanding, more acceptance and above all, more JOY!
I have struggled in knowing how to best tackle these issues. However, I feel the first step is conversation. I know my experience at Kent is not unique and extends to many other schools and to the institution of rowing. By sharing my experiences, I hope to generate a space for more dialogue. This problem is not going away on it’s own and I firmly believe it is time for a change.
Because America runs from its past and from racial justice, I have decided to run a marathon for racial justice and I will be doing so alongside my good friend, teammate, brother, Wes Gordon. I believe that now is the time to challenge old beliefs, and by sharing my story, I hope to inspire others to take on the challenge of thinking critically about how race shapes the sport of rowing and how it has shaped and continues to shape our American history.
This issue stretches across all of America and my experiences at Kent serve to highlight the broader issue of racism in America.
Please consider donating to support me in my cause. All proceeds will go directly to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Additionally, you can follow and watch the marathon unfold on my instagram story on June 27th. I will be running the marathon in New York. If you are willing and able, I ask that you donate $1, $2, $3, $4 or even $5 for every mile that I will run. Thank You! Whatever you are able to give, your recognition of the issue and display of support is greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Daven K.C. Rajesh
Organizer
NAACP-Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
Beneficiary