Kaepernick Publishing to Release Autobiography of NBA Star Who Protested Anthem by Praying
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Civil rights activist and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s media footprint continues to expand. On the heels of his Netflix series Colin in Black & White landing an NAACP Image Award nomination, Kaepernick Publishing on Tuesday announced it is releasing the memoir of another athlete activist.
On Oct. 18 it will release In the Blink of an Eye, the story of former NBA star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, which was written with journalist Nick Chiles. Like Kaepernick, who gained national attention in 2016 for protesting racial injustice by kneeling during “The Star Spangled Banner,” Abdul-Rauf 20 years earlier took a stand by sitting out the national anthem. At the time he was playing for the Denver Nuggets and, after being suspended by the NBA for one game in 1996, he worked out a deal with the league where he would stand but silently pray. He was traded after the end of that season.
In addition to the experience of “being exiled from the NBA,” the book will also touch on his faith (he converted to Islam in 1991), living with Tourette syndrome and growing up estranged from his father.
“Stories like Mahmoud’s are rarely given the respect and prominence they deserve by mainstream media, and we are here to change this,” said Kaepernick in a Tuesday announcement. “Our goal at Kaepernick Publishing is to amplify the courageous work of people like Mahmoud and to provide a platform for inspirational voices to tell their stories with truth, authenticity, and integrity.”
Kaepernick Publishing, which was founded in 2019, earlier this year announced a multi-book partnership with children’s media giant Scholastic. Earlier this year it announced a multi-book partnership with children’s media giant Scholastic. The first book from that partnership, Kaepernick’s own I Color Myself Different, is set for an April release.
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