Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream

by Lori Tharps (Author), Lori Tharps (Author), Ibtihaj Muhammad (Author)

New
Illustrated
2018
$20.76

THE FIRST FEMALE MUSLIM AMERICAN TO MEDAL AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
NAMED ONE OF TIME'S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE

Growing up in New Jersey as the only African American Muslim at school, Ibtihaj Muhammad always had to find her own way. When she discovered fencing, a sport traditionally reserved for the wealthy, she had to defy expectations and make a place for herself in a sport she grew to love.
From winning state championships to three-time All-America selections at Duke University, Ibtihaj was poised for success, but the fencing community wasn't ready to welcome her with open arms just yet. As the only woman of color and the only religious minority on Team USA's saber fencing squad, Ibtihaj had to chart her own path to success and Olympic glory.
Proud is a moving coming-of-age story from one of the nation's most influential athletes and illustrates how she rose above it all.

Synopsis

THE FIRST FEMALE MUSLIM AMERICAN TO MEDAL AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
NAMED ONE OF TIME'S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE

Growing up in New Jersey as the only African American Muslim at school, Ibtihaj Muhammad always had to find her own way. When she discovered fencing, a sport traditionally reserved for the wealthy, she had to defy expectations and make a place for herself in a sport she grew to love.

From winning state championships to three-time All-America selections at Duke University, Ibtihaj was poised for success, but the fencing community wasn't ready to welcome her with open arms just yet. As the only woman of color and the only religious minority on Team USA's saber fencing squad, Ibtihaj had to chart her own path to success and Olympic glory.

Proud is a moving coming-of-age story from one of the nation's most influential athletes and illustrates how she rose above it all.

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More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 256
Edition: Illustrated
Publisher: Hachette Books
Published: 30 Aug 2018
ISBN 10: 0316518964
ISBN 13: 9780316518963

Media Reviews

What a clear-eyed and amazing memoir.... I plowed through it.... Ibtihaj's story is at once so deeply personal and amazingly universal. --Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of Brown Girl Dreaming and Another Brooklyn
Her story is inspiring and illuminating. --The Christian Science Monitor
A tumultuous, unforgettable tale of perseverance and faith. --The Chicago Tribune
A must-read. --PopSugar
[Ibtihaj's] stories of fighting racism and xenophobia are inspiring... but Muhammad's battles with her own demons are equally brave and 100 percent relatable. --Glamour.com
Ibtihaj Muhammad is as sharp with her words as she is with a sabre. --The National (United Arab Emirates)
Fencing made her who she is today, but fencing isn't her only narrative. Her journey is one of authenticity at all costs and being unapologetically herself.
--ESPNw
A powerful sentiment that sums up not only her own struggles, but those of so many minorities in America.

--The Daily Beast

Author Bio

Ibtihaj Muhammad is the first Muslim American woman to compete for Team USA in the Olympics while in hijab and the first female Muslim American athlete to medal, winning bronze with Team Sabre. She cofounded the clothing company Louella, inspired the first hijabi Barbie, and serves as a sports ambassador to the U.S. State Department. She grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey, the daughter of a retired police officer and an elementary school special education teacher.

Lori L. Tharps is an associate professor of journalism at Temple University and the author of Same Family, Different Colors among other books. Her writing has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Glamour and Essence magazines. She lives in Philadelphia with her family.