2026 Black History Month Pre-Order Store

Rowing 16 years

Rowing changed my life by giving me direction, discipline, and a deeper understanding of myself. It opened the world to me, introducing experiences, places, and people I never would have encountered otherwise and some of the best moments of my life have come from this sport. Rowing taught me how to move with purpose, stay composed under pressure, and keep showing up even when progress isn’t visible. What started as a sport became a standard for how I live, work, and lead.

Black History Month, to me, is a time to celebrate the accomplishments, resilience, and contributions of Black people across every space, culture, business, sports, science, art, and beyond. It is both a reflection and a declaration: a reflection on where we’ve come from, and a declaration of the excellence we continue to bring to the world.

It is a reminder that Black culture has shaped global history in profound ways, often without credit, recognition, or protection. Despite living in a society that, in many ways, was built to exclude, restrict, and suppress us, Black people have consistently created, innovated, and led. Our excellence did not come from ease, it came from perseverance, vision, and an unbreakable sense of purpose.

For me, this month is a reminder to walk with pride, to lead with intention, and to keep pushing forward, not just for myself, but for the generations that paved the way and the ones still to come.

Black history is American history and Black excellence is not a moment, it’s a standard.

The Rooted unisuit represents where we come from and what carries us forward.

In rowing, just like in life, power doesn’t come from floating aimlessly. It comes from being grounded. Rooted symbolizes deep foundations: ancestry, culture, community, and purpose. It honors the generations before us whose strength, resilience, and sacrifice allow us to sit in the boat today and pull toward something greater.

This unisuit is a reminder that excellence is not accidental. It is grown. It is built. It is rooted in history, discipline, and identity.

Every stroke taken in Rooted is intentional. It reflects stability under pressure, growth through adversity, and confidence that comes from knowing exactly who you are and where you stand.

You don’t just wear Rooted. You race in it. You represent in it. You move forward, grounded, powerful, and unshaken.

Historic XULA Rowing Crew, first year

Black History Month means taking a moment to breathe, reflect, and honor the story I’m a part of, one that started long before me. It’s a time when the world pauses to recognize the brilliance, the struggle, the creativity, and the strength of Black people in this country. For me, it’s deeply personal. It’s remembering the ancestors who survived what was meant to break them and realizing that I am their wildest dreams in motion.

Being Black in America hasn’t always meant being seen, heard, or valued. Too often, we’ve been pushed aside, misunderstood, or underestimated. But during Black History Month, our history and our humanity take center stage. Our accomplishments, our culture, our resilience, and our joy are acknowledged in a way that reminds me how powerful our community truly is.

Black History Month reminds me to be proud of where we’ve been, proud of who we are, and proud of the future generations who will rise even higher. It’s a month that fills me with gratitude, inspiration, and hope, because our story is still being written and I get to be one of the voices in it.

Rowing has had a profound impact on my life, especially as a freshman navigating a new environment. It provided discipline and structure at a time when everything else felt unfamiliar. But being part of the country’s only HBCU rowing team at Xavier University of Louisiana means I’m doing more than just learning a sport, I’m helping to pave a way. By showing up on the water, I hope to inspire the next generation of Black youth to step out of their comfort zones and embrace 'untraditional' sports. Rowing pushes me to show up physically, mentally, and emotionally, even on the hardest days, because I know I'm rowing for more than just myself.

Rowing is teaching me what true camaraderie looks like. Every stroke reminds me that I’m part of something bigger than myself, and that teamwork isn’t just a concept, it’s a commitment. It’s also helped me sharpen my time‑management skills, balancing early mornings, practices, classes, and everything in between. And above all, rowing is building my resilience. It’s teaching me how to keep going when the water gets rough, how to trust the process, and how to grow through the challenges.

For the long sleeve “Power”, I used the colors red and black to represent the strength and history of the Black community. Red specifically symbolizes the sacrifices made when they had to fight for freedom. Black represents strength and unity. Additionally, the white was used to symbolize hope and progression of the future which was built on the foundations of the past. The flowing patterns on the uniform represent the many different paths that the Black community has taken throughout history. It shows how their journey has never been a straight line because of the barriers in their way. Somewhat similar to the way water flows around obstacles, the design I added symbolizes the persistence and resilience it took to keep moving forward despite all of the obstacles in the way. The quote “struggle is power”, that is placed on the uniform sends a message that the challenges Black people have faced aren't just hardships, but a source of strength to keep us going.

Rowing has impacted my life in positive ways. I started rowing with Charlotte Youth Rowing back in 2019 and joined the first ever HBCU co-ed rowing team in it’s inaugural year at Xavier University of Louisiana in 2025. Ever since then, I have competed in prestigious regattas such as Head of the Charles and Youth Nationals and met some of my closest friends, coaches, and mentors. Rowing helps provide a sense of structure in my life. Being able to commit to a specific routine everyday along with work as a unified bunch with teammates within the boat is a skill I plan on keeping throughout the rest of my life.

Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, and Jackie Robinson. While these may just be famous people to the average person, they are more than that for me. African Americans helped shape the culture, the environment, the world we live in today. While we celebrate the contributions our ancestors made in the past during this month, We also celebrate current contributions that are happening. Barack Obama was recently our first African American US President. Kamala Harris, a Howard alum, was our first African American Vice President. I, Brandon King, am apart of the first HBCU co-ed rowing team. I am black history. Black History Month is more than just 28 days in February for me. Black History Month is every month, every day, every minute, every second. 

For the struggle is power design, the inspiration is how African Americans have gone through many hardships such as segregation and slavery, but we have always persevered and been able to overcome obstacles.

The flowing uni design represents how all types of different DNA of African Americans help create one culture that is unique to the Black culture.

The black uni with the tree was inspired by the saying “we are our ancestors wildest dreams”. This quote, drawn from Jack & Jill of America, means that our ancestors fought to give us the life we are living today.