·Print and e-ARC distribution to trade and consumer media, both traditional and online, via Goodreads, NetGalley, and other distribution platforms.
·Social media marketing on Facebook and Twitter.
·PR campaign with print, radio, and digital interview targets.
·Newfound relevance: In the wake of Colin Kaepernick’s protests, many other athletes have followed a similar path, standing up for their beliefs and using their public platforms as ways to speak truth to power. The Black Lives Matter movement sheds new light on earlier visionaries like Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, whose protest was marginalized in his own time.
·Spiritual search: The book tells of Abdul-Rauf’s eventual self-discovery that accompanied his reversion to Islam and how it progressed in parallel to his political awakening. Thus, in a way rare in most sports memoirs, the book has value for readers asking questions about their own spiritual journeys.
·Race and sports: The book feeds into the current reappraisal of professional sports with regard to athletes and how they are treated by governing bodies. In the wake of the events and protests of 2020, the national conversation about race and racism’s role in sports has widened. This book will become an important resource in that conversation.
·Inspirational story: Whether or not you’re a sports fan, this book will provide inspiration from its story of a man beating all the odds: Tourette Syndrome, poverty, predatory associates, divorce, an NBA blacklist, and systemic racial oppression.