On October 14, Ms. Wiley’s senior seminar English class “Black in America” was proud to engage with famous polo player and author Kareem Rosser. Rosser was born and raised in West Philadelphia along with his mother and five siblings, who are all highlighted in Rosser’s memoir, Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport that Changed Their Lives Forever. Rosser opened up to the seminar about his accomplishments and his personal experiences.
In polo, once either player hits the ball, there is an invisible line both players cannot cross. Polo has been seen as a sport for the white upper class. Rosser’s memoir title (Crossing the Line) refers to this polo rule and how he crossed from being a kid in West Philly to be in an elite sport not many black faces are seen in.
Rosser’s memoir covers his journey through not only polo but the reality of a life not many Baldwin students could imagine having. He discussed mental health, death, and how people helped him and his polo team become the first all-black team to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship.
Rosser began attending Valley Forge Military Academy and College at the age of 13, graduating in 2011. Rosser said that Valley Forge gave him a better life structure that, at the time, was “absent at home.” “[The community at Valley Forge] made me who I am today,” said Rosser.
He also described how his life at Valley Forge made him into the “neat freak” he is today. Rosser informed the seminar of how he would not take back his experience at Valley Forge and how he is grateful to have attended the institution.
As far as family goes, Rosser admits being the middle child of five was slightly challenging due to the competitive spirit he inherited from his brothers. The reason Rosser was even inspired to begin polo was because of his brother, Jabar (also known as Bee). Bee played polo while Rosser tagged along. Rosser soon began to enjoy the sport, and it quickly became his goal to become more skilled than Bee. The goal made Rosser push himself harder to “go the distance.”
Rosser and his brothers improved their skills at a ranch in Philadelphia named Work to Ride. Work to Ride is a non-profit organization founded in 1994 by Lezlie Hiner that teaches children between the ages of 7 to 19 to ride and care for horses, as well as riding fundamentals. Rosser is currently a board member for Work to Ride and explained how the organization has a goal of raising $8+ million to expand their barn. So far they are halfway there.
The ranch started as a barn Lezlie owned. She offered to teach the Rosser brothers and others free of charge with a minimum requirement of staying in school and learning how to clean the stables and care for the horses. Rosser does not describe Lezlie as a “white savior”, but rather a true samaritan, devoting her life to serving not only Work to Ride but others too.
Rosser’s rising fame and success in polo has led to a partnership of three years with the world-famous clothing brand, Ralph Lauren. The brand has done a photoshoot with Rosser and others at Work to Ride and continues to push for diversity within a predominantly white sport. Rosser is still thankful for their inclusivity and partnership.
Currently, Rosser says he is in the process of adapting his memoir into a feature film, which will be filmed in Philadelphia. As the executive producer, he hopes to avoid the “Hollywoodization” of his true story. The film will cover his life between the ages of 8 and 18. He has experience being on set from being the horse rider stunt double for Idris Elba in the Netflix movie Concrete Cowboy.
Beyond his cinematic plans, Rosser aims to write another two books in addition to his first memoir. He is still shocked that he pulled off creating this raw and remarkable memoir, and admitted about how he used to struggle with reading and writing.
Rosser keeps himself grounded by staying in Philadelphia and traveling to new places not many people think about (he found Montana stranger than most places). But the best of all is that he always puts his family first. Rosser even calls his mother five times a day and now has a newborn daughter for whom he took three months of paternity leave. He still dreams of buying a large plot of land for him and his family.
Rosser answered Black in America’s many tough questions about his aspirations and achievements. He spoke about his many roles as a proud family member, father, friend, financial analyst, trustee, executive producer, and screenwriter. Overall, Rosser taught students in “Black in America” about the importance of mental health, the amazing Work to Ride program, and a success story that occurred only through hard work.