Contemporary Authors

• Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream Hachette Books (New York, NY), 2018
• Proud: Living My American Dream Little, Brown and Company (New York, NY), 2018

Library of Congress Online Catalog 1. Proud : my fight for an unlikely American dream LCCN 2018938062 Type of material Book Personal name Muhammad, Ibtihaj, 1985- author. Main title Proud : my fight for an unlikely American dream / Ibtihaj Muhammad, with Lori L. Tharps. Edition Autographed Edition, First Edition. Published/Produced New York ; Boston : Hachette Books, [2018] © 2018. Projected pub date 1111 Description xiii, 270 pages ; illustrations ; 24 cm ISBN 9780316487238 (signed edition) 9780316518963 (hardcover) (B&N signed edition) (ebook) Item not available at the Library. Why not? 2. Proud : living my American dream LCCN 2018013877 Type of material Book Personal name Muhammad, Ibtihaj, 1985- author. Main title Proud : living my American dream / Ibtihaj Muhammad. Edition Young Readers Edition, First Edition. Published/Produced New York : Little, Brown and Company, [2018] Projected pub date 1111 Description pages cm ISBN 9780316477000 (hardcover) CALL NUMBER GV1144.2.M84 A3 2018 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms

• GALE - http://go.galegroup.com/ps/paginate.do?tabID=Biographies&searchResultsType=SingleTab&topicId=&searchId=R3&searchType=PersonSearchForm¤tPosition=1&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=BIC&audit=y

  Ibtihaj Muhammad
  Contemporary Black Biography. 2016.
  COPYRIGHT 2016 Gale a cengage company
  Born: December 04, 1985 in Maplewood, New Jersey, United States
  Nationality: American
  Occupation: Fencer
  Listen

  Ibtihaj Muhammad is a top-ranking member of the U.S. women's national fencing team. A three-time All-American at Duke University with a string of national and international medals, Muhammad qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by winning the bronze medal at the Women's Saber World Cup in Athens, Greece, on January 29, 2016. Going into the Summer Games, Muhammad ranked second in the United States in saber and seventh in the world. She holds the distinction of being the first Muslim woman to fence for the United States, and she was poised to make history in Rio in August of 2016 as the first American to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab, the traditional headscarf worn by many Muslim women. Muhammad missed making a historic appearance at the London Olympics in 2012 when a torn ligament in her hand prevented her from qualifying.

  Altered Her Uniforms

  The third of five children, Muhammad was born on December 4, 1985, in Maplewood, New Jersey, a suburb of Newark about 20 miles west of Manhattan. Muhammad's father, Eugene, was a narcotics detective, and her mother, Denise, was a special education teacher for the elementary grades. Muhammad's parents had both converted to Islam before they met. Growing up, Muhammad played many sports, including softball, volleyball, tennis, and track. Her competitive streak was sparked by her older brother, Qareeb, the only boy in the family. Muhammad told Time magazine's Sean Gregory for a March 14, 2016, article, "I owe my athletic drive to my brother.... I was always trying to run faster than him or jump higher than him." Because her religious beliefs mandate that her arms and legs be kept covered in public, Muhammad wore long pants and long-sleeved shirts under her uniform shorts and tops, always with her hijab firmly in place. The adjustments in dress made Muhammad feel out of place, and she sensed that her teammates were not always accepting of her.

  When Muhammad was 13 and in her last year of middle school, her mother got a sudden inspiration while stopped in traffic in front of the local high school. Through the large cafeteria windows, she saw several students practicing their fencing moves. The teenagers were dressed in attire that covered their whole body. To Denise, it seemed like a perfect solution: a sport with a uniform that accommodated their religious beliefs. Plus, fencers were required to wear masks in competition, so the hijab would not stand out. Denise later discovered that Maplewood's Columbia High School had one of the largest fencing programs in the nation.

  Muhammad joined the fencing team at Columbia High her freshman year. She later told Laura Tillman of the Huffington Post: "Everyone had to dress the same way. We had to wear knickers and long socks and long sleeves. It was the first time that I was on a team and felt like I was really part of it." For her first two years, Muhammad fought with the épée, one of competition fencing's three swords along with the saber and the foil. She switched over to the saber her junior year. The saber discipline is the fastest of the three because the fencer can score with the edges of the blade, not just the tip, making speedy footwork essential.

  Fenced for Duke University

  Muhammad captained two state championship fencing teams at Columbia while also playing volleyball and softball. By the time she graduated, she had been recruited by the Peter Westbrook Foundation in New York City, a fencing club founded by Olympian Peter Westbrook, famous for turning kids from nontraditional backgrounds into elite athletes.

  Muhammad attended Duke University on scholarship, graduating in 2007 with a dual major in international relations and African and African-American studies. A three-time All-American at Duke, Muhammad was Junior Olympic national champion in the saber division in 2005, her sophomore year. During the summer of 2006, she took intensive courses in Arabic at the School for International Training in Rabat, Morocco.

  After graduating from Duke, Muhammad decided to pursue fencing full time. As she told Tamerra Griffin for the social news website BuzzFeed in 2016, one of her reasons for continuing was the lack of diversity in the sport: "Historically, it's always been a white sport reserved for people with money. I don't think it's a good representation of the U.S., or of society as a whole."

  Named to 2016 Olympic Team

  Muhammad began to work with a new coach at Westbrook, the 2000 Olympian Akhi Spencer-El, and in 2009 she took the fencing world off guard by clinching the U.S. national title. In 2010 Muhammad won a coveted spot on the U.S. women's national team. She has since amassed an impressive collection of medals. She claimed her first individual international medal, a silver, at a World Cup stop in Bologna, Italy, in 2013, and has been a member of U.S. teams that have medaled at five consecutive world championships, including winning the gold in Kazan, Russia, in 2014. In addition, Muhammad has several team World Cup medals and a string of podium finishes at the Pan American Championships.

  A 2012 Olympic hopeful, Muhammad failed to qualify for the Summer Games in London after tearing a ligament in her hand. She was dominant leading up to the 2016 Games in Rio, taking a bronze medal at the U.S. national championships in 2015 and bronze medals at two World Cup events in the 2015-16 season, the last of which, in Athens on January 29, 2016, locked her into the second spot on the Rio team, behind two-time Olympic gold medalist Mariel Zagunis. The saber team is highly selective. Olympic rules permit a maximum of two Americans in the individual event, along with a third for the team event, and a replacement athlete for team competition only. The entire U.S. team was named on April 11, 2016.

  After securing her place at the 2016 Summer Games, Muhammad made headlines as the first American to compete at the Olympics in a hijab. Muhammad took her position as a trailblazer seriously, as she explained to Barry Carter of the Star-Ledger for a February 12, 2016, article: "I feel like it is groundbreaking and I'm really proud to be that person who can be the first, but also provide an image for other minorities to envision themselves in elite sports." In a February 2, 2016, article by Brandon Penny on the Team USA website, Muhammad was quoted as having declared, "I want to compete in the Olympics for the United States to prove that nothing should hinder anyone from reaching their goals--not race, religion or gender. I want to set an example that anything is possible with perseverance."

  Started Her Own Business

  On February 3, 2016, just a few days after her triumph in Athens, Muhammad was among the prominent Muslims on hand to witness Barack Obama's first visit to an American mosque since the start of his presidency. The event took place in a suburb of Baltimore. Muhammad was also invited to attend a roundtable discussion with President Obama before he delivered his speech. As she told Victor Mather of the New York Times for a February 10, 2016, article, the participants addressed "the varying concerns that people have within the Muslim community, like Islamophobia, mass incarceration, anti-Muslim rhetoric. I talked about my experiences as a minority member of Team U.S.A."

  As preparation for life after fencing, Muhammad embarked on a new career. In May of 2014, she founded Louella, an online business named after her grandmother that specializes in affordable, modest clothing for women. Muhammad got the inspiration for the brand after a futile online search for an attractive long-sleeved, floor-length dress. Her siblings are heavily involved in the business's day-to-day operations. Her three sisters help maintain the website and collaborate with her on designs and fabric choices, while her brother oversees the manufacturing facilities on the West Coast.

  Sales figures for Louella indicate that the market for conservative clothing is rapidly growing. The company sold 3,000 pieces online in its first six months and generated $250,000 in sales within a year. Those numbers were on track to double for Louella's second year of operation, aided in part by pop-up stores in Detroit, New York, and Washington, DC. Muhammad is not at all surprised by the high demand. In a 2015 ESPN interview with Aimee Berg, she remarked, "If you ask any woman who has to cover her arms and legs, the majority are buying things at Forever 21, H&M, Lord & Taylor, Macy's or whatever, but doing a lot of layering. You're taking a maxi dress and throwing a shirt on underneath, or a sweater over it. That just becomes super-costly. Also, it's really hot." She told Time's Gregory, "There are tons of Muslim-clothing companies out there. But I felt as though they were never anything me or my sisters or my friends would wear. They're, like, dowdy and dark."

  Beginning in 2009, Muhammad returned to Columbia High School to coach. At one point her assistant was her younger sister, Faizah, a two-time state saber champion who also competes for Team USA. Muhammad coached the Columbia girls' fencing team to New Jersey titles in 2012 and again in 2014. Muhammad has used her celebrity to advocate on behalf of Muslim rights, and she is also an outspoken voice for women. In 2012 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named Muhammad to the U.S. Department of State's Council to Empower Women and Girls through Sports.
  PERSONAL INFORMATION:

  Born on December 4, 1985, in Maplewood, NJ; daughter of Eugene Muhammad (a police detective) and Denise Muhammad (a schoolteacher). Religion: Muslim. Education: Duke University, BA, international relations and African and African-American studies, 2007. Addresses: Fencing club--Peter Westbrook Foundation, 229 W. 28th St., 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10001-5915. Web--http://www.louellashop.com. Twitter--@IbtihajMuhammed.

  CAREER:

  Peter Westbrook Foundation Fencing Club, fencer, 2002--; USA Fencing women's national team, 2010--; owner, online clothing business, 2014--.

  AWARDS:

  All-American selection, National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2004, 2005, 2006; USA Fencing Junior Olympic Championships, gold medal, 2005; USA Fencing National Championships: gold medal, 2009, gold medal (team), 2011, bronze medal, 2015; World Cup: silver medal, 2013, bronze medal, 2015, 2016; World Championships (team): gold medal, 2014, bronze medal, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015.

  FURTHER READINGS:

  Sources
  Periodicals

  Atlantic, February 4, 2016.
  Independent (London), February 2, 2016.
  New York Times, February 10, 2016.
  Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), February 12, 2016.
  Time, March 14, 2016.
  USA Today, April 23, 2015.
  Wall Street Journal, June 24, 2011.

  Online

  Berg, Aimee, "For This Olympic Hopeful, the Road to Rio Is Paved with Fencing and Fashion," ESPN.com, July 16, 2015, http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-life/article/13263124/for-olympic-hopeful-road-rio-paved-fencing-fashion (accessed April 19, 2016).
  Griffin, Tamerra, "Meet the Badass Fencer Representing the U.S. at the Olympics in Hijab," BuzzFeed, February 2, 2016, http://www.buzzfeed.com/tamerragriffin/fencer-first-us-athlete-to-compete-in-hijab-at-olympics#.wsKgmg7lR (accessed April 19, 2016).
  "Ibtihaj Muhammad," USA Fencing, http://www.usfencing.org/page/show/700219-ibtihaj-muhammad (accessed April 19, 2016).
  Imam, Jareen, and Keith Allen, "Hijab-Wearing Athlete on Track to Make U.S. Olympic History," CNN.com, February 4, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/03/us/ibtihaj-muhammad-fencer-olympics-irpt/index.html?eref=rss (accessed April 19, 2016).
  Martin, Michel, "Olympic Hopeful Mixes Muslim Faith and Fencing," Tell Me More, National Public Radio, January 5, 2012, http://www.npr.org/2012/01/05/144737954/olympic-hopeful-mixes-muslim-faith-and-fencing (accessed April 19, 2016).
  Penny, Brandon, "Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad Qualifies for Olympics, Will Become First U.S. Athlete to Compete in a Hijab," Team USA, February 2, 2016, http://www.teamusa.org/news/2016/february/02/fencer-ibtihaj-muhammad-qualifies-for-olympics-will-become-first-us-athlete-to-compete-in-a-hijab (accessed April 19, 2016).
  Storm, Hannah, "Muslim Fencer Has It All Covered" (interview with Denise Muhammad), ESPN.com, December 8, 2011, http://espn.go.com/espnw/journeys-victories/article/7323847/muslim-fencer-ibtihaj-muhammad-all-covered (accessed April 19, 2016).
  Tillman, Laura, "Ibtihaj Muhammad: First U.S. Athlete to Wear Hijab in the Olympics?," Huffington Post, November 10, 2011, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-tillman/iibtihaj-muhammad_b_1082342.html (accessed April 19, 2016).

  Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
  "Ibtihaj Muhammad." Contemporary Black Biography, vol. 133, Gale, 2016. Biography In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1606007620/BIC?u=schlager&sid=BIC&xid=ce7adf7b. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

  Gale Document Number: GALE|K1606007620

  Ibtihaj Muhammad
  Gale Biography in Context. 2016.
  COPYRIGHT 2018 Gale, a Cengage Company
  Born: December 04, 1985 in Maplewood, New Jersey, United States
  Nationality: American
  Occupation: Fencer
  Listen
  Full Text:

  Ibtihaj Muhammad is an American saber fencer and member of the 2016 United States Olympic team. As of March of 2016, she is the second-ranked saber fencer in the United States and is ranked seventh in the world. A follower of the Islamic religion, Muhammad will be the first American athlete to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab, a traditional Muslim head scarf. She also is the founder of her own clothing line.

  Early Life

  Ibtihaj Muhammad was born on December 4, 1985, in Maplewood, New Jersey. Her mother, Denise, was a special education teacher, and her father, Eugene, was a narcotics detective with the Newark Police Department. Muhammad was athletically inclined as a child, and her parents encouraged her to play sports. She credited her older brother, Qareeb--one of her four siblings--with pushing her to excel. "I owe my athletic drive to my brother," Muhammad told Time. "Because I was always trying to run faster than him or jump higher than him."

  Growing up, she participated in track and field and played softball and volleyball. Because of her religious beliefs, she wore her athletic uniform over long pants, long sleeves, and a hijab--all part of the Muslim tradition of modest dress. Muhammad often felt singled out and less like a member of her team because of her style of clothes. When she was in eighth grade, her mother saw a group of high school fencers in a car next to hers at a red light. Denise Muhammad noticed their masks and protective clothing and thought fencing would be a sport in which her daughter could feel more comfortable while competing in her hijab.

  Muhammad joined the fencing team at Columbia High School in Maplewood, but her race and religious dress caused some parents to make uncomfortable comments. Muhammad's mother enrolled her in a New York fencing club run by Peter Westbrook, a bronze medal winner at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Westbrook's foundation helped train young fencers from urban and nontraditional backgrounds in the sport. Under his tutelage, Muhammad began focusing on saber fencing, one of the sport's three disciplines. In saber fencing, a fencer can score by hitting an opponent's target area with any part of the blade, rather than just the tip.

  Success and the Olympics

  Muhammad received a partial scholarship to attend Duke University, where she was named an all-American fencer in 2004, 2005, and 2006. She graduated in 2007 with bachelor's degrees in international relations and African and African American studies. She missed qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, ranking fourth in the United States. Only the top two qualifiers advanced. In 2014 Muhammad founded Louella, a clothing line that features a more modern and stylish spin on traditional Muslim clothing. The company, named after her grandmother, earned about $500,000 annually, Muhammad told Time. She also signed a sponsorship deal with Dick's Sporting Goods.

  Muhammad continued to compete in saber fencing and won her first international medal--a silver--at a World Cup match in 2013. In 2015 she finished third at the USA Fencing National Championships, and in January of 2016, she qualified for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team for the games in Rio de Janeiro. Muhammad will be the first U.S. woman to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab. A few days after receiving a spot on the team, President Barack Obama praised Muhammad and held her up as a positive example of the Muslim community. He told her, according to CNN, to "Bring home the gold...No pressure." Muhammad hoped that she could serve as a role model to Muslim girls and convince them to participate in sports. "If I had people who could challenge that notion that I didn't belong, if I had athletes I could see," she told Time, "I feel like it definitely would have been easier."
  FURTHER READINGS:

  Online

  "Hijab-Wearing Athlete on Track to Make U.S. Olympic History," CNN, http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/03/us/ibtihaj-muhammad-fencer-olympics-irpt/ (February 27, 2016).
  "Ibtihaj Muhammad," USA Fencing, http://www.usfencing.org/page/show/700219-ibtihaj-muhammad (February 27, 2016).
  "Ibtihaj Muhammad Fencing," TeamUSA, http://www.teamusa.org/athletes/mu/ibtihaj-muhammad.aspx (February 27, 2016).
  "A New Face for Team USA," Time, http://time.com/fencer/ (February 27, 2016).

  Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
  "Ibtihaj Muhammad." Gale Biography in Context, Gale, 2016. Biography In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1650010139/BIC?u=schlager&sid=BIC&xid=637f4b70. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

  Ibtihaj Muhammad
  Newsmakers. 2017.
  COPYRIGHT 2017 Gale a cengage company
  Born: December 04, 1985 in Maplewood, New Jersey, United States
  Nationality: American
  Occupation: Fencer
  Listen

  American fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad became the first Muslim-American woman ever to win an Olympic medal. A member of the U.S. women's team at the 2016 Rio Games, Muhammad wore a hijab under her protective fencing gear and returned to New Jersey with a bronze medal for the women's team saber event. "A lot of people don't believe that Muslim women have voices or that we participate in sport," USA Today reporter Dan Wolken quoted her as saying. "I want to break cultural norms."

  Born in 1985, Muhammad is the daughter of African-American parents who converted to Islam. Her father worked for many years for the Newark Police Department as a narcotics detective, and Muhammad's mother was a special education teacher eager to see her four daughters compete in sports alongside their only brother. "I know how important it is for kids to be a part of the community," her mother Inayah Muhammad told Robin Wright in a New Yorker profile about her daughter. "Sports helps them integrate. Families and fans always unite around teams."

  In middle school Muhammad played volleyball and was compelled to wear sweatpants instead of shorts because of her parents' adherence to Muslim guidelines regarding clothing and appearance. By chance, one day she and her mother spotted some fencers while at a stop sign near a school cafeteria window. "They were practicing and we didn't know what it was," Muhammad recalled in a Rolling Stone interview with Porochista Khakpour. "My mother said, 'I want you to try that when you are old enough.' Later I remember looking up the top colleges and seeing if it was a way to get to college. All the top schools had fencing teams."

  Fenced at Duke

  Muhammad began épée fencing in her hometown of Maplewood, New Jersey, and competed for her Columbia High School team, which won two state championship titles before she graduated in 2003. She entered Duke University on a partial academic scholarship and chose a dual major in African studies and international relations, with a minor in Arabic language and literature. By the time Muhammad began fencing at the collegiate level she had switched to the saber blade, preferring the brinksmanship and athleticism of that category in contrast to épée fencing.

  After graduating from Duke in 2007, Muhammad returned to the New York/New Jersey area and resumed training with an influential mentor-coach, Peter Westbrook, the first African-American fencer to medal in the sport. In 2009 she began training under another ex-Olympian, Akhi Spencer-El, and her international rankings began to climb. In 2010 she qualified for a place on the U.S. national fencing team and began competing at the international level. In 2011 she and her saber teammates won a bronze medal at the World Fencing Championships in Italy, a feat they repeated in Ukraine in 2012 and Hungary in 2013. At the 2014 World Fencing Championships in Kazan, Russia, Muhammad and her fellow saber swordswomen won a hard-earned gold-medal victory over world-class competitors from France and Russia.

  In college and as an amateur athlete Muhammad competed wearing the hijab, or headcovering for Muslim women, which was not visible under the protective helmet her sport's safety rules require. As a young woman in the United States, however, she often felt the sting of bias. "People regularly avoid eye contact," she told Wright, the New Yorker journalist. "Imagine walking into a room and someone avoids looking at you."

  In January of 2016 Muhammad earned a place on the national women's team that would represent the United States in the sport at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As one of just a handful of hijab-wearing American women in any sport, she was invited to participate in a U.S. State Department program, Empowering Women and Girls Through Sport. In the months preceding her appearance in Rio, she was invited to a special event at a mosque in Baltimore, Maryland, which hosted President Barack Obama, and gamely crossed blades with the host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in a live television match she won 5-0.

  Made Olympic History

  At the 2016 Rio Games, Muhammad finished in 12th place in the women's individual saber event, but was part of the bronze-winning team saber victory, placing third behind the Russian and Ukrainian teams. In Brazil that August, Muhammad was the focus of intense media interest as the first female Team USA athlete to compete while wearing a full hijab. "There are women who cover, there are women who don't," she explained to reporters, according to a Guardian article. "There are African-American Muslims, there are white Muslims, there are Arab Muslims. There are so many different types of Muslims. So many Muslim countries have women as heads of state. And there are things I want people to be aware of. I want people to not see just those women but also Muslim women who participate in sports."

  Muhammad and her sisters launched a clothing company, Louella, named after a beloved grandmother. She coaches young fencers at Westbrook's elite academy in New York City and also assists in his foundation's outreach program. "On a Saturday, you'll see 200 kids here learning to fence," she enthused in an interview with New York Times writer Victor Mather. "Sports gives girls a sense of confidence that's very hard to find in this society."

  One of Muhammad's pre-Olympic engagements via the Empowering Women and Girls Through Sport Initiative was a panel discussion at the 2016 South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. At the registration desk she was asked to remove her hijab for the photo-identification badge and objected to the request; she Tweeted about it and festival organizers issued a formal apology. Eleven months later she spoke publicly about the proposal to bar visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries from entry into the United States. She said that even as a U.S. citizen whose ancestry stretched back several generations, she was still targeted when passing through U.S. airports on domestic flights because of her hijab. "This is my home; this is who I am," she told Washington Post journalist Rick Maese. "So when I hear someone say something like, 'We're going to send Muslims back to their country,' it's like, 'Where am I going to go? I'm an American.'"
  PERSONAL INFORMATION:

  Born December 4, 1985, in Maplewood, NJ; daughter of Shamsiddin (a police officer) and Inayah (a teacher) Muhammad. Education: Duke University, B.A., 2007. Addresses: Home--Maplewood, NJ. Office--c/o USA Fencing, 4065 Sinton Rd., Ste. 140, Colorado Springs, CO 80907. Web site--https://twitter.com/ibtihajmuhammad.

  CAREER:

  Member, U.S. national fencing team, 2010--; cofounder, Louella (a women's apparel company), 2014; won bronze medal in women's team saber event, Summer Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2016; member, Empowering Women and Girls Through Sport Initiative, U.S. Department of State.

  FURTHER READINGS:

  Guardian (London, England), August 8, 2016.
  New Yorker, March 4, 2016.
  New York Times, February 10, 2016.
  Rolling Stone, August 8, 2016.
  USA Today, August 9, 2016.
  Washington Post, April 6, 2016.

  Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
  "Ibtihaj Muhammad." Newsmakers, vol. 1, Gale, 2017. Biography In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1618006632/BIC?u=schlager&sid=BIC&xid=175c3c9a. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

  Ibtihaj Muhammad
  Who's Who Among African Americans. 2017.
  COPYRIGHT 2017 Gale a cengage company
  Born: December 04, 1985 in Maplewood, New Jersey, United States
  Nationality: American
  Occupation: Fencer
  Listen
  PERSONAL INFORMATION:

  Family: daughter of Eugene and Denise. Education: Duke Univ, BA, 2007. Memberships: Peter Westbrook Found. Addresses: Office: 4065 Sinton Rd Suite 140, Colorado Springs, CO, United States 80907 Phone: Office: (719) 866-4511.

  CAREER:

  Fencing athlete, 2003-; member of U.S. teams for Pan American Championships, 2010-16, Senior World Championships, 2010-16, Pan American Games, 2011, 2015, and the Summer Olympics, 2016; Louella, founder, 2014-.

  AWARDS:

  NCAA All-American, 2004, 2005, 2006; USA Fencing Junior Olympic Championships, gold medal, 2005; Pan American Championship, bronze medal (individual), gold medal (team), 2010; Pan American Championship, gold medal (team), 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, bronze medal (team), 2014, and gold medal (individual), 2016; Pan American Games, gold medal (team), 2011, 2015; Senior World Championships, bronze medal (team), 2011, 2012, 2013, and gold medal (team), 2014, 2015; Muslim Sportswoman of the Year, 2013; Summer Olympics, bronze medal (team), 2016; Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2016 list.

  Achievements:

  The first U.S. female athlete to wear a hijab at the Olympic Games, 2016; sports ambassador, U.S. Department of State's Empowering Women and Girls Through Sport Initiative.

  Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
  "Ibtihaj Muhammad." Who's Who Among African Americans, Gale, 2017. Biography In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1645547770/BIC?u=schlager&sid=BIC&xid=a6061acd. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

  Gale Document Number: GALE|K1645547770

• Aurora Beacon-News - http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/community/chi-ugc-article-ibtihaj-muhammad-olympian-celebrates-new-bo-2018-07-10-story.html

  QUOTE:
  There was plenty of pushback as she pursued her athletic career," noted a contributor for the Aurora Beacon-News Online. "Yet her faith was a priority."
  . "Her inspiring journey from a young outsider to a national hero is a beautiful, uniquely American tale of hard work, determination, and self-reliance,"
  From the community: Ibtihaj Muhammad, Olympian, Celebrates New Book at Anderson’s Bookshop
  Ibtihaj Muhammad, Olympian, Celebrates New Book at Anderson’s Bookshop
  Ibtihaj Muhammad, Olympic Medalist, Visits Anderson's Bookshop on July 26. (Posted by candy.purdom, Community Contributor)
  Community Contributor candy.purdom
  Privacy Policy

  The competition to become an Olympic athlete is grueling. To rise to be among the world's elite in any sport is a feat to be admired. And Ibtihaj Muhammad reached that exceptional goal: earning an Olympic medal in fencing.

  But in addition to the physical demands on this young athlete were social and religious demands unequaled by any before her. Yet, Muhammad's truly unique American and Olympic dreams were realized and now are related in her new book: Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream. And what a fight it was!

  At 13, Muhammad joined her high school fencing team in New Jersey. From there she continued to develop her skills. She graduated from Duke University. Muhammad has been a member of the US Fencing Team since 2010.

  Muhammad is a practicing Muslim. There was plenty of pushback as she pursued her athletic career. Yet her faith was a priority. Accordingly, she was the first Muslim-American woman to compete in a hijab.

  Her new book will be celebrated at a special book event at Naperville's Anderson's Bookshop, 123 W. Jefferson Ave. The book comes in two editions: one for adult readers and one for children. This event takes place on Thursday, July 26 at 7:00 p.m.

  Moderating the program will be Luvvie Ajayi, New York Times bestselling author (I'm Judging You: The Do Better Manual), hugely popular blogger and personality.

  This special event is free and open to the public. To join the booksigning line, please purchase the author's featured book at Anderson's Bookshop.

  About the Book: Proud tells the story of Ibtihaj Muhammad, Olympic medalist fencer and one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. It recalls the tremendous obstacles, racism, and pressures she has overcome as the first Muslim-American woman to compete in hijab in a sport dominated by privileged white athletes.

  This is a tumultuous, unforgettable tale of perseverance and faith. Raised in a working-class community in New Jersey with five siblings, Muhammad sought out sports as a means to fund college and fencing was one of the only sports in which she could participate fully clothed. She was fast, hardworking, and devoted to her faith. But in a sport most popular with privileged whites, Muhammad remembers often being out of place. Rivals and teammates often pointed out her differences, one even telling her to "take that tablecloth off your head." Muhammad knew that was a sign of what was to come.

  Her path to Olympic greatness has been marked with painful moments and near -debilitating obstacles-from the financial hardship her family endured in support of her to the ongoing bigotry she rose above with passion and grace, bigotry which emerged not just from competitors but also from coaches and teammates who continuously told her she'd never get far in the sport, even after she qualified for the Olympics.

  Muhammad's life is one of overcoming adversity as a woman competing in a sport known for its lack of diversity for a country that views her religion with suspicion and harbors a history of oppressing her race. Her inspiring journey from a young outsider to a national hero is a beautiful, uniquely American tale of hard work, determination, and self-reliance.

  About the Authors: Ibtihaj Muhammad is best known for being the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab while competing for the United States in the Olympics and the first female Muslim-American athlete to medal in the Olympics, winning bronze with Team USA's Team Sabre. She grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey, the daughter of a retired police officer and an elementary school special education teacher. She lives in New York City.

  Lori L. Tharps is an associate professor of journalism at Temple University and the coauthor of Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America and Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain. Her writing has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Glamour and Essence magazines. She lives in Philadelphia with her family. Please note, Tharps will not be appearing at the Anderson's Bookshop event.

  About Anderson's Bookshop: Ibtihaj Muhammad's upcoming visit is part of Anderson's Bookshops' calendar of special author events. Anderson's Bookshops specialize in book sales, author events, book signings, and building a sense of community, learning and fun. The store has been helping Naperville readers for six generations. Additional locations include Downers Grove, at 5112 Main Street (630) 963-2665 and La Grange, at 26 S. La Grange Rd. (708) 582-6353. A toy shop, Anderson's Toyshop, at 111 W. Jefferson Ave., in Naperville, opened in 2016. Key to Anderson's success has been special author events, like the July 26 program with Ibtihaj Muhammad and moderator Luvvie Ajayi.

• Salon - https://www.salon.com/2018/08/02/team-usa-fencer-ibtihaj-muhammad-i-have-been-detained-by-u-s-customs-and-im-an-olympic-medalist/

  QUOTE:
  "Growing up, I’ve always been really into sports," Muhammad told Rachel Lea in a Salon.com interviw. "When I found fencing, I feel like it awakened this drive inside of me that I didn’t know was there--that was to really challenge the misconceptions that people and society had around me, as not just an African-American woman, but also as a Muslim woman. ... In writing a book, it is so therapeutic. There are a lot of tears. It was really a long process and difficult process, but I think that being able to un-package some of these moments that, for me, are just kind of blips in the radar, and not just notches on the belt. ... It was important for me to kind of pen this memoir, because I want there to be someone who looks like me, which I didn’t have, for my younger self to, hopefully, be a source of inspiration in life for our younger generation."
  Team USA fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad: “I’ve been detained by U.S. customs and I’m an Olympic medalist”
  As the first Muslim-American to medal at the Olympics, fencing star Muhammad has spent a lifetime smashing barriers

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  Rachel Leah
  August 2, 2018 8:00pm (UTC)

  Team USA Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad is a game changer. She's most known for being the first U.S. athlete to compete in the Olympics while wearing a hijab, as well as as being the first Muslim-American to medal. In the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil, Muhammad helped to secure the bronze medal in the Team Sabre competition. But her story is about so much more than that individual triumph.
  In the new memoir "Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream," available now, Muhammad details her journey of becoming a professional fencer as a black Muslim woman, and as someone who has spent a lifetime smashing barriers. With the support of a loving family structure and anchored by her faith, Muhammad mobilized from a suburb in New Jersey, to Duke University, to the Olympics, overcoming a million obstacles in between. At times, it was a lonely journey, as there weren't many peers or role models for Muhammad to see herself in or connect to. But that's why she works as an activist today, changing the way the world views and understands black female athletes and Muslim women.

  And Muhammad's activism isn't confined to the sports world, either. She has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, writing open letters to him and in general, combatting the Islamaphobia that has taken hold in America.
  Watch the full interview with Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad
  She reveals why acceptance from her teammates was her biggest challenge

  Tell me about "Proud" and what inspired it.

  Growing up, I’ve always been really into sports. When I found fencing, I feel like it awakened this drive inside of me that I didn’t know was there — that was to really challenge the misconceptions that people and society had around me, as not just an African-American woman, but also as a Muslim woman. I wanted to dispel these myths and stereotypes, but I also want to break barriers and show people what I was capable of as this young Muslim, black kid, in the sport of fencing, and little did I know, it would take me all around the world into these different places.

  Also, I would say one of my biggest accomplishments today was the Olympic Games. But there is so much in that story that is untold. When we see the Olympics, we get this really brief look into the athlete’s life. I wanted to tell something that lended a lens into my journey as a minority member of Team USA and the struggles and triumphs that came along the way. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done – it's not just qualifying for the games and winning a medal, but it’s this really arduous journey in trying to navigate space as where you’re not welcomed, trying to navigate anxiety and depression, overcoming even your own self and the doubt that we each have.

  At the end of this journey for me, I found an Olympic medal and I want to tell the authentic story of what happened, how I arrived at the point in my life where I decided to embark on this journey, but also why I did it even when it was so difficult.

  How do you feel that now that it’s out in the world?

  In writing a book, it is so therapeutic. There are a lot of tears. It was really a long process and difficult process, but I think that being able to un-package some of these moments that, for me, are just kind of blips in the radar, and not just notches on the belt. It was so hard in these moments. I remember having these times where I would have to call my mom when I was in China or FaceTime my sister from Russia. I would be really upset and be hurt or be sad or be injured or not have a great result or have this amazing result. There are so many ups and downs and peaks and valleys throughout your career, and they just then become such a norm that you forget. I think it’s one of the beautiful things about our lives is that even in the painful moments, we’re able to look past them.

  It was important for me to kind of pen this memoir, because I want there to be someone who looks like me, which I didn’t have, for my younger self to, hopefully, be a source of inspiration in life for our younger generation, particularly today. I think that there’s so many different spaces where people of color aren’t welcome, religious minorities aren’t welcome. For a long time, that’s how my sport was.

  It’s been such a blessing to be in this position, even though, I swear I wish I had someone like myself to look up to as a kid, and just to even be present in sport. I remember what Serena and Venus Williams did for me as a kid, to see them participate. I remember seeing, watching Hakeem Olajuwon play, but fast during Ramadan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the same. I always thought that was so cool because I remember thinking fasting was the hardest thing ever. Just like, how are they playing professional basketball and doing this?

  It has allowed me to see myself in spaces, even on an unconscious level, allowing myself to dream and to unconsciously graph these aspirations of greatness that I had no idea were even inside of me.

  Why call it "Proud"?

  "Proud" is because I’ve always been that. I’ve been challenged my entire life for being different and I’ve never wavered from being unapologetic about who I am and being proud of who I am. That’s something that no one can ever take from you. If you approach every single situation with confidence and you’re proud of who you are and you know that you’ve worked hard, that’s something that can never be taken from you, win or lose.

  Can you talk about how you came to fencing, because it’s a pretty unique story?

  Yes. I started participating in sports at a really young age. . . In our family — I’m one of five kids — there’s not really the option of whether or not you’ll play sports, it was more so of which sport do you want to play. I remember from a really young age, my parents putting our town recreation book in front of us, and flipping through the pages, and saying, 'Do I want to try softball or maybe I’ll try tennis?' For me, in each of these different sports, I remember going with my mom, in particular, to sporting good stores. We would have to find long-sleeved tops or spandex to go underneath the team uniform.

  As a Muslim woman, I cover everything with the exception of my face and hands and even before I wore hijab as a kid, I still never wore shorts. I always was in a different kind of uniform or out of uniform from my teammates. At 12 years old, my mom and I happened to be driving past a local high school. We saw fencing from these really large picture windows. Into the school cafeteria, there were athletes who had on long white jackets, they had on long white pants. My mom was like, 'I don’t know what it is, but it fits our belief system and the way that we cover,' so she wanted me to try it out. That fall, when I turned 13, was my first experience in the fencing gym.

  READ MORE: Writing truthfully about my father: An act of resistance, an act of love

  Also, what I loved, too, is how you were so forward-thinking about college and how this could be an avenue to get to it and pay for it.

  Yes, I’ve always been a planner and education is really important in our household. Sports was huge, but you couldn’t play — in our family, you weren’t allowed to play, if you didn’t have A's. Sport, athletics and academics went hand in hand in our family, but academics always came first. I knew, I’ve always known, that I want to go to one of the best schools in the country. When you come from a large family with working class parents, as you know, my dad’s a retired drug detective and my mom is a retired teacher, large families have to be creative with how you plan to pay for college. I was like, 'Well, maybe I can use fencing to do it.' That was just my plan. Not a super well-thought-out plan, because I didn’t really know how I planned to get this scholarship. I didn’t know if I would be any good in fencing. It was definitely like a rolling of the dice, but thankfully, it worked out well.

  Earlier you talked about navigating, first of all, the U.S., as a black woman, as a Muslim woman. But fencing is perhaps even more extreme, as far as it being predominantly white, male, and an elite arena. How was that for you? And even the sports world more generally, the issue that black athletes often face of say, being stereotyped as strong, but not smart.

  As a black athlete, you’re pigeonholed in a sense into your capabilities, but also what people expect from you. I think that you’re expected to bring athleticism to the table and you’re expected to dominate in a sense. In order to be accepted, oftentimes, as black athletes, we have to be exceptional. I feel like there’s this pressure to be great. When I think of my career in fencing, especially now, one of the top athletes in the country, one of the top fencers in the world, there…

  An Olympic medalist.

  Yes, Olympic medalist. There’s still the stigma that comes with being a black athlete. Within the sport of fencing, we have a lot of coaches who were from former Soviet countries, who, when the Soviet Union broke up, came to the U.S. to try the fencing clubs. You have a lot of coaches who are from different countries in Europe who are very myopic in the way that they think about black athletes in particular. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve heard, 'Ibti, you’re strong. Go out there and be strong.' It’s just like this idea that I can’t think tactically as an athlete, that all I bring to the table is strength.

  What’s interesting about fencing is that our sport is literally physical chess. You are trying to, in every sense of the word, outsmart your opponent. It’s about being a few steps ahead, tricking people into thinking that you’re doing one thing, but really you’re having another plan up your sleeve. To be told over and over that all you are is strong, you can’t think tactically, you’re not capable of that, I think is a form of harassment in a way. It’s meant to even confine you in a way that you perceive yourself and your capabilities.

  I had the great opportunity of having these profound black Olympians, black Olympic medalists who were able to help me navigate qualifying for the Olympic team. I think one of the challenges in being one of the first in your sport is knowing like 'how do I do this, what do I do?' My first international competition was at 23. My teammates on the national team were competing internationally at 13, 14 years old. I’m trying to compete on the same level, because we’re the same age, but without the experience.

  Another theme in "Proud" was addressing the misinformation and dehumanization of Muslims in the U.S., something that you've also experienced. There was that story about after graduating from Duke and while interviewing in the corporate world, the HR interviewer questioning if your "lifestyle," whatever that means, will interfere with your work. Just clear discrimination. One thing that I found really profound is, while you were always interested — whether it was with Team USA, or in any space — in being friendly, and outgoing, and sociable, you weren’t interested in explaining your humanity, which is the burden so often placed on marginalized people.

  It’s really difficult position to be put in and to try to figure out how to navigate making other people comfortable with you being labeled as 'different,' as like you said, the athlete of color or the athlete whose faith may be different. For a really long time, I think that I was trying to go out of my way, which I feel like a lot of people do. You go out of your way to try to make other people comfortable.

  It’s hard work. Imagine having to do that all the time, beyond all the time to make sure you’re not hurting anyone’s feelings, stepping on anyone’s toes, making sure they’re okay with you existing as you are, and then having to compete and train just like everyone else. I feel like it’s really tasking. Emotionally, mentally, physically, it’s hard.

  At some point, thank God, I arrived at this point in my life where I was just done. I didn’t have the energy anymore to keep expending and trying to make the people around me comfortable. I realized that that shouldn’t be my burden. That’s not my job to make you in some way feel comfortable with me.

  In the book, you talked about a shift after 9/11, as far as the treatment of Muslims in the U.S. How has that changed or multiplied since Donald Trump became president?

  I find that what we’re experiencing now as Muslims in the United States is far harder than what it was after 9/11. That’s something that I can say, like I was a millennial, I can only speak to my own experiences. I’ve been followed. I’ve been detained by U.S. customs, and I’m an Olympic medalist.

  These are experiences that a lot of us have. I think that, as someone who is being gifted with a platform as an athlete, I have to use it in order to change where we are in society. I don’t think I should have to fear, existing as I am, wanting to express myself through my faith in covering and wearing hijab, but also existing as a black person like, I shouldn’t have to fear calling the police for help, or walking down the street in existing as you are. That’s problematic. I think that not just athletes, not just athletes with really large platforms, but each of us, as individuals, needs to do what we can, speak on these social issues, so that we see change.

• ESPN - http://www.espn.com/espnw/culture/article/24183570/fencer-ibtihaj-muhammad-proud-memoir-battling-depression-american-dream

  QUOTE:
  "I know how hard it can be growing up in a society that tries to tell you that you are not beautiful enough, skinny enough, white enough--eyes aren't blue enough, your hair is not blonde enough. It's important that we teach young girls to believe that they are capable and enough, just as they are. ... I know how much seeing Serena and Venus [Williams] meant to me as a kid. I know what it feels like to see someone and see yourself in them, then feeling infinitely more capable because someone else who looks like you are doing it. My journey has been a blessing, and I hope it can impart inspiration onto others."

  Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad on 'Proud' memoir, battling depression and her American dream

  By Aishwarya Kumar | Jul 24, 2018
  espnW.com
  With a saber in tow, Ibtihaj Muhammad is charting her own unique path.
  Courtesy Hachette Book Group

  With a saber in tow, Ibtihaj Muhammad is charting her own unique path.

  "I've had to fight for every win, every place at the table, every ounce of respect on my path to world-class athlete. And I will continue to fight because the prize this time -- an America that truly respects all of its citizens -- is worth more than any medal. Inshallah: so, may it be."

  These last few sentences in Ibtihaj Muhammad's upcoming memoir, "Proud," released on Tuesday, are powerful. It also summarizes her book (published in two versions; young readers and adult) perfectly. 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. Throughout the book, Muhammad screams out loud, "If I can achieve success as a black, Muslim-American woman wearing a hijab, so can you."

  In this conversation with espnW, the Olympic bronze medalist talks about her struggles as a woman of color in the U.S., why it's important for young girls to read her story, how to bring positive change in the country as a religious minority and her next big project.

  More from espnW.com

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  Ibtihaj Muhammad on getting her own Barbie doll

  espnW: What made you want to tell your story now?

  Ibtihaj Muhammad: It was difficult to navigate a traditionally white sport as a woman of color. I want to motivate people and inspire them in a way that isn't necessarily about fencing. It's more so about breaking free from the confines of society's limited expectations of us. As women, as people of color, as religious minorities -- we have to be our best selves.

  And writing a book is so therapeutic. I worked through many tough moments. I got to think about why these things happened. Additionally, I got to talk about depression in a way that I have never really discussed with anyone, other than my mom and my sports psychologist. I was able to be vulnerable and work through things. Depression is taboo within the black and Muslim communities, and I would say, sports as a whole. It's relatively new to find professional athletes talking about depression in an [honest] way.

  espnW: You specifically wanted young girls to digest this read. Why?

  IM: I know how hard it can be growing up in a society that tries to tell you that you are not beautiful enough, skinny enough, white enough -- eyes aren't blue enough, your hair is not blonde enough. It's important that we teach young girls to believe that they are capable and enough, just as they are.

  espnW: You have quotes by athletes, authors and activists of color that lead into each chapter. How did that idea come into play?

  IM: I used a lot of historical figures and people that I look to for inspiration. At your darkest moments -- maybe you're not the right person for the job, maybe this is too difficult, maybe this isn't what I should be doing -- it's during those moments when you look at the words of [author] Zora Neale Hurston, times when you feel super-motivated by Michelle Obama. I think that's what has helped me arrive at where I am, not just as an athlete, but as a person.

  espnW: What defines you as an athlete?

  IM: My skin color, wearing the hijab, being a Muslim and being a woman of color, these things have the power to shape how people treat me within the sport. People would put limitations or boundaries toward what I was capable of. But, there's something to be said for hard work. I wanted to be the first person in the gym and the last one to leave, and a lot of that is about defying expectations that people had in me.

  When I decided I was going to try and make the Olympic team at age 23, I didn't know if it was possible. But that wasn't going to stop me from trying. I embarked on this mission and put my soul into making the national team not because I aspired to be a professional athlete but because I wanted to change the sport. I wanted to be the first Muslim woman to go to the Olympics from the United States wearing a hijab, which I did at the [2016 Rio Games]. It was a journey for "us," and us being anyone who has ever been told "no" -- that they are not capable. It's about creating spaces that are inclusive and diverse because that's the Team USA and America that I know.
  Muhammad during the Women's Sabre Team Semifinal at the Rio Olympics.
  Tom Pennington/Getty Images

  Muhammad during the Women's Sabre Team Semifinal at the Rio Olympics.

  espnW: You walked away from fencing during your junior year of college. Do you regret losing those three critical years before you went back to the sport at age 23?

  IM: No, I don't regret it at all. Being a student athlete is so difficult, and I would argue even more so at a school like Duke -- it was even harder than it would have probably been for me in a state school.

  It was the right decision to make. I was unhappy on the fencing team. I loved the sport in a way that was different from my teammates. I wanted to train and win a national title, and that wasn't the energy that was there on the team. It was almost like a club sport, and I felt like I was sacrificing a lot by being there. College for a student-athlete means [balancing] academics, athletics, and social life -- I felt like I had to choose two instead of having all three.

  espnW: Out of curiosity, what was your thought process behind writing about the 9/11 attacks and your experience as a Muslim-American?

  IM: The Muslim experience post-9/11 and the Muslim experience now are eerily similar, if not harder in this moment. Because I grew up in [Maplewood, New Jersey], a town that is very close to New York City, having my mom's sister working in New York right near the tower, it hit home. For a lot of the kids in my classes, their parents worked in New York. I was 15 in 2001, and it was a defining moment. Being Muslim [was no longer] just a private thing, where you participate when you're at home, all of sudden [my religion] became a public [experience].

  espnW: Tell us about the epilogue of the story. You discuss your journey to winning an Olympic medal, having a Barbie doll made in your likeness and other wins. Why close the book in this manner?

  IM: I know how much seeing Serena and Venus [Williams] meant to me as a kid. I know what it feels like to see someone and see yourself in them, then feeling infinitely more capable because someone else who looks like you are doing it. My journey has been a blessing, and I hope it can impart inspiration onto others.

  espnW: What is the next chapter in Ibtihaj Muhammad's book of life?

  IM: I am executive producing my first show in a few weeks, and I am excited about that. I am working with [media platforms] The Players' Tribune and Conde Nast to produce content around women in sport and to tell stories from their point of view, which has always been near and dear to me.

  This interview has been edited for length.

• Bustle - https://www.bustle.com/p/ibtihaj-muhammads-memoir-proud-is-a-powerful-story-about-her-rise-as-a-black-muslim-olympian-10251635

  QUOTE:
  "One thing is clear from her new memoir: Ibtihaj Muhammad was never going to let anyone stop her, even though many people tried. In Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream, she writes about how racism and xenophobia affected her childhood in New Jersey, her experience on the U.S. Olympic fencing team, and everything in between."

  Ibtihaj Muhammad's Memoir 'Proud' Is A Powerful Story About Her Rise As A Black Muslim Olympian
  BySara Courtney
  a month ago
  Mike Coppola/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

  One thing is clear from her new memoir: Ibtihaj Muhammad was never going to let anyone stop her, even though many people tried. In Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream, she writes about how racism and xenophobia affected her childhood in New Jersey, her experience on the U.S. Olympic fencing team, and everything in between.

  “I think that proud has been a sentiment that I learned to adopt from a really young age.” she tells Bustle of the memoir's title. “I never wanted to live under the stipulations of society’s limited expectations. I’ve always wanted to break free from this idea that there are certain things that I can and can’t do, depending on things like gender or religion or ethnicity. And I’ve learned that no matter what anyone says in all these moments, being proud is having confidence, and that is something no one can take away from me.”

  As a kid, she tried many sports, but struggled to play in uniforms that did not conform to her faith. Then came fencing. As she writes in her book, “Once we were all suited up, I looked like everyone else, covered from head to toe.” She adds, "I chose fencing because it not only accommodated my religious beliefs, but… as an athlete I was really drawn to individual sport. I liked the idea of being solely responsible for the outcome of a match or a game."

  "I’ve always wanted to break free from this idea that there are certain things that I can and can’t do, depending on things like gender or religion or ethnicity."

  After graduating from Duke University, she expected to leave fencing behind and land a job in the corporate world. But despite sending out dozens of resumes, she wasn't asked back for many interviews. When she finally landed an interview at a prestigious multinational law firm, the man from HR made small talk before uncomfortably asking whether she would really fit in at their office given her "lifestyle." The months stretched on with no offers or job prospects, and Muhammad grew frustrated and depressed. She began working at a Dollar Store. Her days consisted of stacking shelves with dishwashing liquid and watching TV. One day, feeling lost, she paid a visit to her former high school fencing coach and asked for a lesson. Afterwards, he urged her to pursue fencing again on the international circuit — and possibly compete in the Olympics. But his encouragement was tempered with caution. “Being a champion is a long, lonely road,” he told her.

  Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream by Ibtihaj Muhammad, $17.70, Amazon

  He could have added grueling. She trained non-stop, paying her competition fees with her meager earnings from her job at the Dollar Store. (Eventually, she secured a substitute teaching job in Newark to cover the costs.) Through it all, she kept moving up in the rankings, and she finally earned a spot on Team USA. She was thrilled her travel and competition costs would be covered by the team, and excited that she was officially considered a professional athlete. She was also eager to bond with her new teammates, but as she details in her memoir, her attempts at friendship were rejected by much of the team. Instead, she writes that the team intentionally excluded her from team dinners and left her off practice emails.
  Tom Pennington/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images

  Muhammad was at the top of her sport, yet she still felt like an outcast. "What I experienced was really difficult, especially as one of the few athletes of color in the sport," she tells Bustle. "The reason it was important for me to talk about my experiences and expose the underbelly of elite athletes, particularly within fencing, is because I am hoping it’s easier for the people who come after me. I want people to be more conscious of the way they treat others. And to know that passive aggressive behavior can be detrimental not only physically for an athlete but mentally as well. I know there were many times when it would have been far easier for me to walk away rather than push forward and continue to embark on this journey of qualifying for the Olympic team. And for black athletes, there’s a lot of pressure where often times we have to be exceptional in order to be accepted. I felt that when I was competing. When I faltered, it was front and center. It seemed to always be a topic for discussion. But when I was successful, it seemed to fall on deaf ears. There was no celebration. And not that you need it, but it can be really difficult to navigate these spaces with those moments.”

  "The reason it was important for me to talk about my experiences and expose the underbelly of elite athletes, particularly within fencing, is because I am hoping it’s easier for the people who come after me."

  Even though her story takes place against the backdrop of Olympic glory, it has the familiar sting of a hostile work environment. Muhammad offers advice for others facing the same situation. "I think the biggest act of rebellion, and the greatest act of resistance in this moment is to be unapologetic about who you are... I wish I had arrived at that understanding earlier in my career."

  Ultimately, she trounced her teammate's low expectations, and earned a spot on the 2016 Olympics team. She competed in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and was a member of Team USA’s Bronze-winning saber team.
  Tom Pennington/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images
  Tom Pennington/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images

  Of course, Muhammad is an athlete, and much of the memoir focuses on her trials and tribulations in the sport of fencing. But, in some of the most fascinating tidbits from the book, she details her ongoing struggle to find fashionable modest clothing. As her star rose, she was invited to speak at more events. But she quickly grew frustrated with the the dowdy clothing options she was presented with. Despite her busy schedule, Muhammad decided to start a fashion line: Louella by Ibtihaj Muhammad.

  "I remember being younger and really struggling as a kid who didn’t wear short sleeves and didn’t wear revealing tops or revealing dresses, and there was never a real option for me and my sisters if we needed a dress for an event or a dinner," she says. "So this idea just kind of blossomed in my family to create a line of clothing not just for ourselves but also for the many women that we know and that we don’t know that we were sure are experiencing the same issue. And to fill that void in the US market for affordable clothing that was modest and is ethically made."
  Louella Shop

  It’s clear that Muhammad has become an icon beyond the realm of sports. In fact, Mattel just released the first hijab-wearing Barbie — inspired by Muhammad. "I never imagined I would have a Barbie doll! Not in a million years," she tells Bustle. "Dolls were an opportunity for me to imagine myself in different spaces and allowed me to dream and to not have any limit to what I was doing in that particular moment… I remember having dolls that weren’t diverse and that didn’t feel inclusive because my mom only bought me and my sisters black and brown Barbie’s, so if we went to the toy store and we already had the two Barbie’s on the shelf, we wouldn’t get a doll that day. So to have Mattel choose inclusiveness in this moment is a really strong statement on their part, because it’s far easier for people to stay silent. We see that played out every day.”

  "Dolls were an opportunity for me to imagine myself in different spaces and allowed me to dream and to not have any limit to what I was doing in that particular moment."

  Muhammad closes her memoir with a rallying cry: “I will continue to fight because the prize this time is an America that truly respects all of its citizens.” She once published an open letter to President Trump, who has used his platform to criticize athletes, to remind him that sports are an “equalizer and symbol of peace.” Despite our current political environment, she still feels that as an athlete and activist, she can overcome the divisiveness. "I think that’s the ultimate goal in using your platform," she says. "The hope is you are moving the needle and you can be an agent of change. Even if you are just changing one person."

  Ibtihaj Muhammad’s journey is uniquely her own, and yet, it is one that many people will find relatable, comforting, and inspiring. “I hope people realize in their own time and their own ways they have everything inside to be great,” she says. "I think my story is one of struggle and triumph but also resilience. There was a lot of pushback in my career, even at the elite level, that I didn’t allow to dictate my journey or even how I felt about myself. I think that’s a hurdle we all arrive at some point in our life where there’s someone who doesn’t believe that you’re capable or doesn’t believe you have what you need in that moment to achieve a certain goal that you have set for yourself. I think it’s always important to remember that you don’t need other people’s permission to be great."

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pg/ibtihajmuhammadusa/about/?ref=page_internal

  About

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  ADDRESS: PO Box 1227, Maplewood, NJ 07040 USA
  CONTACT INFO
  ibtihaj@teamwass.com
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  MORE INFO
  Affiliation
  The Peter Westbrook Foundation, USA Fencing Association
  About
  2016 Olympian
  First Muslim woman to win Olympic medal for the United States

  email: ibtihaj@teamwass.com
  Biography
  Ibtihaj Muhammad is a member of the United States Fencing Team. She is the first Muslim woman to represent the United States in international competition.

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  2010 - 2014 U.S. World Championship Team Member
  2014 World Champion – Kazan, Russia – Gold Medal Team... See More
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• Rolling Stone - https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-sports/rio-olympics-ibtihaj-muhammad-is-americas-olympic-game-changer-249162/

  Rio Olympics: Ibtihaj Muhammad Is America’s Olympic Game Changer

  “The honor of representing Muslim and black women is one I don’t take lightly”
  By Porochista Khakpour

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  Ibtihaj Muhammad, US Fencing, Hijab, Muslim Olympian, Muslim American, Hijab Olympian, Team USA,

  Ibtihaj Muhammad makes history at Rio Olympics as first Muslim-American Olympian to compete in hijab.

  Ezra Shaw/Getty

  Fencers are not usually household names in America, but Ibtihaj Muhammad has gained recognition in the US for an unlikely reason: for being the first U.S. Olympian who will be wearing a hijab during her sport. One of Time magazine’s Most Influential People of 2016, she is African-American, a New Jersey kid of suburban stock who grew up with four other siblings in Maplewood, about 20 minutes outside New York City.

  Muhammad has been athletic her whole life, something her family encouraged, even as they made sure to make modest clothes out of athletic attire. “I’d make her outfits that covered her arms and legs, which allowed her to participate while still being true to her faith,” her mother says.

  She joined the fencing team at age 13, years after her mother first spotted some high school fencers practicing and thought her daughter could take it up. “I remember we drove by a high school where they were practicing and we didn’t know what it was and my mother said, ‘I want you to try that when you are old enough.’ Later I remember looking up the top colleges and seeing if it was a way to get to college. All the top schools had fencing teams.”

  Recruited to go to Duke on an academic scholarship in 2003, she became a three-time All-American and 2005 Junior Olympic Champion. She got dual bachelor’s degrees in international relations and African and African-American Studies and also attended the School for International Training in Rabat, Morocco, where she completed courses in Moroccan culture and intensive Arabic. On her Olympics profile page she lists “Politics, photography, language, football, culture and religion” as her interests.

  A member of the U.S. National Fencing Team for the past six years, she failed to qualify for the Olympics in 2012. Now, entering into her first Olympic Games, Muhammad is currently number two in the U.S., Number 12 in the world (she’s made it to Number Seven before), hopes are high on her performance. “I didn’t make it to the 2012 Olympics and people kept calling me an Olympian. I was with a friend once and this little girl came up and said, ‘Oh, it’s the Muslim Olympian,’ and my friend said, ‘You know, she wasn’t in the Olympics,’ and from that point on, I made it my goal. I would never have someone deny me that.”

  Muhammad stays quite busy as a public figure. She’s a sports ambassador, where she serves on the U.S. Department of State’s Empowering Women and Girls Through Sport Initiative. She speaks all around the world and loves to teach the sport. And in 2014, Muhammad launched her own clothing company, Louella, which aims to “bring modest, fashion forward clothing to the world,” as her website states. “We felt we needed it because there was clothing that was either not very fashionable or too expensive and we wanted something we’d wear.”

  Related
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  Instagram Is Being Used to Sell Drugs

  Still, she is very proud to be recognized as a Muslim first and foremost. She always makes sure to pray five times a day. “I just read about some new facilities for worship at the Olympics center – I’m excited to check it out.”

  This all comes even as she gets profiled, airport time always extended for her and her family. Muhammed is not surprised – she remembers 9/11 very clearly as a 16-year-old. “I remember the Muslim boys in our class were taken aside – who knows why it was just the Muslim boys – and I knew life would never be the same from that point on.” But it’s important for her to educate people about the fact that African-Americans can also be Muslims. “I never felt connected to Arab culture, but people always think I am. There is not much knowledge of African-American Muslims. They always want to ask where I’m from, where my parents are from, where their parents are from. They never think we’re from here.”

  The 2016 Olympics in Rio has a lot to live up to, especially where Muslim women are concerned. The 2012 Games marked the first Olympics where women participated in all 26 sports. And they were also the first time Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei entered women athletes. All in all, several Muslim women stood out as hopefuls, and they received international coverage; Afghan runner Tahmina Kohistani was the only woman from Afghanistan at the 2012 London Olympics. Zahra Lari was the first figure skater from the United Arab Emirates to compete in an international competition in 2012 when she performed at Italy’s European Cup – she was also the first figure skater to compete at that level while wearing a hijab. Kulsoom Abdullah, a Pakistani-American weightlifter, was the first person ever to compete in the sport internationally while wearing a hijab. In 2012, judo fighter Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkani became the first Saudi woman ever to compete in the Olympics (the match wasn’t broadcast in Saudi Arabia, where her participation was forbidden). And Shinoona Salah al-Habsi was one of only four Omani athletes to compete in the London Olympics in 2012.

  Fencing has been an Olympic sport since 1896, but this year, with Muhammad representing the U.S., it takes on fresh and weighty significance. As Sean Gregory wrote in Time, this is an opportunity for the Olympic federation to make even more of this novelty, and elevate her in the public eye. “Like many of her American teammates, Muhammad is an inspiration to countless people. But choosing her as a flag bearer is a chance to signal something even greater about what America stands for. It would be a win for all Americans – and Team U.S.A.’s first of the 2016 Olympic Games.”

  But Muhammad is just focused on the sport for now, even as the world watches, particularly fellow Muslim-Americans. Muslim activist Linda Sarsour speaks for many of us when she declares Muhammad is “not representing Muslim Americans. She’s a Muslim representing the United States of America.” When one asks Muhammad about her three layers of marginal identity – black, Muslim, female – and which is the most difficult to project, she almost laughs. “I don’t think of any of them as hard. Growing up it was always an honor to be all of those things. Whatever was hard was what others brought to it. It’s all really a big dream. I don’t think it’s hit me yet. The honor of representing Muslim and black women is one I don’t take lightly.”

• Team USA - https://www.teamusa.org/usa-fencing/athletes/ibtihaj-muhammad

  Ibtihaj Muhammad
  Saber Fencing
  0
  0
  1
  Olympian
  2016
  Name: Ibtihaj Muhammad
  Sport: Fencing
  Discipline(s): Saber Fencing
  Event(s): Individual, Team
  Height: 5-7
  Weight: 150
  DOB: 12/4/1985
  Birthplace: Maplewood, N.J.
  Hometown: Maplewood, N.J.
  High School: Columbia High School (Maplewood, N.J.) ‘04
  College: Duke University '07, International Relations, African and African-American Studies
  Team/Club: Peter Westbrook Foundation
  Coach(es): Akhi Spencer-El
  Olympic Experience

  Olympian (2016); Olympic medalist (bronze)
  Rio 2016 Olympic Games, 12th (individual); bronze (team)

  World Championship Experience

  Most recent: 2015 – 13th (individual)
  Years of participation: 2013-15
  Medals: 5 (1 gold, 4 bronzes)
  Gold – 2014 (team)
  Bronze – 2011 (team); 2012 (team); 2013 (team); 2015 (team)

  Other Career Highlights

  2015 Pan American Games, gold (team)
  2011 Pan American Games, gold (team)

  Personal: Daughter of Eugene Muhammad and Denise Garner...Has five siblings...Began fencing at age 13...Aspires to be the first U.S. athlete to compete at the Olympic Games in a hijab...According to her father, fencing was a sport that was uniquely accommodating to her religion, which requires her body to be fully covered...Interests include working out, camping, photography, politics and traveling...Three-time NCAA All-American...Muslim Sportswoman of the Year in 2012...Serves on the U.S. Department of State’s Empowering Women and Girls Through Sport Initiative...In 2014, launched her own fashion brand, Louella by Ibtihaj Muhammad, which she manages with her siblings...Works with the Peter Westbrook Foundation, an organization founded by Olympian Peter Westbrook to mentor inner-city kids through fencing...Growing up, she found inspiration from the Williams sisters and their confidence playing tennis.
  More
  USA Fencing

• New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/books/ibtihaj-muhammad-fencing-hijab-olympics.html

  Ibtihaj Muhammad: The Olympic Fencer Is Charting Her Own Path
  Image
  Ibtihaj Muhammad winning a fencing match at the 2016 Rio Olympics.CreditCreditLucy Nicholson/Reuters

  By Sopan Deb

  July 24, 2018

  Ibtihaj Muhammad found fencing when she was 12 years old, growing up in Maplewood, N.J., or rather, her mother, Denise, found it for her. As a practicing Muslim, her mother was eager to find a sport that would allow her daughter to dress modestly, to honor Islam.

  This launched an unexpected, barrier-breaking career for Ms. Muhammad, who, in 2016, became the first Muslim woman to represent the United States at the Olympics wearing a hijab. She was part of the women’s saber team that won a bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro, which continued her meteoric rise to fame. Time magazine placed Ms. Muhammad on its list of “The 100 Most Influential People”; Hillary Clinton tweeted about her during the presidential campaign; and a Barbie doll has been modeled after her.

  In Rio, Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad became the first American Muslim athlete to compete while wearing a hijab. pic.twitter.com/OrRSHnH2Ra
  — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 8, 2016

  But in her new memoir, “Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream,” which is out this month along with a young readers edition, Ms. Muhammad documents the alienation she felt from her teammates and coach, the death threats that she said neither the United States Fencing Association nor the Olympic committee took seriously, and her feelings of anxiety and despair.

  In a phone conversation from Los Angeles, Ms. Muhammad, 32, was reflective in discussing her life, the discrimination she faced growing up in a predominantly white suburb, where her political activism might lead and why the Olympic experience was bittersweet.

  This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
  Image

  It’s interesting that your mother pushed you toward fencing, in part because it is an accessible sport for observant Muslims. Were you skeptical at first?

  I didn’t know much about it. But I have never been averse to trying new things. I didn’t love it at first, but I did go home and look into fencing a little bit more. I remember looking at the Top 10 schools and seeing if they had fencing teams. I thought I could use it as a way to beef up my resume.

  What are the biggest misconceptions about female Muslim athletes that you are trying to dispel?

  We exist. For the Olympic team, for the United States, I’ve changed the narrative for the Muslim community in the way that we’ve been perceived. And if you take that a step further and look at the way Muslim women see themselves, these young girls who haven’t had anyone at this level of sport do that on the world stage — compete at the highest level of sport. To do that is changing the way Muslim women think about themselves and perceive themselves.

  When you were in Paris, you were approached for autographs for the first time at a world championship. What was that like?

  I was very confused. It was my first world championship. I was so excited. For me, it already felt like a huge achievement. This was in the middle of Paris. We were competing at the Grand Palais. The whole thing is unfolding like a fairy tale, in the sense that Paris is the epicenter of fencing in the world. In France, a place that has struggled with the idea of hijab and with the Muslim community, I feel like it was a moment for even French citizens to see a Muslim woman on television.

  I think what people will find most surprising about your story is the amount of resistance you faced from Ed Korfanty, your coach, and teammates on Team U.S.A. Why do you think they were so resistant to your success?

  It’s hard to put your finger on it. A lot of it has to do with fencing being an individual sport. It’s a very competitive, contentious environment. There’s a limited number of spots on the team.

  For me, that initial pushback was not there until I started to win. Initially, it was just kind of like, “You’re different. Let’s ask weird questions about hijab and prayers.” But they were really more out of pure ignorance than hatred. Really silly things like, “Do you use a magic carpet to pray?” Stuff like that. These are the kind of “microaggressions” I had to endure. But then I realized that as I started to climb and do better, the energy changes because then you’re seen as a threat. My teammates would do really silly things, like not telling me there was a team practice. Then it became very clear: “We don’t want you here.”

  Having to navigate that space, unfortunately, can be common for athletes who are among the first in their sport.

  After the Olympics, you write in your book that you received a death threat. Was that your first one?

  No. I’ve had quite a few.

  Did that start after the Olympics?

  I had them before the Games. The interesting thing about that is the United States Fencing Association and the Olympic committee didn’t take them as seriously as I thought that they should. They would send them to me, which, to me, plays a part in my mental state as an athlete. I don’t think that it was helpful at all. If anything, as a national governing body, I would hope that the U.S.A. Fencing would want to protect me, and I never felt that from them. It just always seemed like a burden to even have to deal with it. And what more of a burden is there than having a death threat made against you?

  You’ve been outspoken about President Trump. Have you always been interested in politics?

  One of my majors at Duke University was international relations so I’ve always had an interest in politics. But I think that this current political climate is more difficult for the Muslim and black communities than it has been in a really long time. The Muslim community has it harder now than after September 11. It’s like you’re backed into a corner. You can either continue to operate as normal, as an athlete, and pretend that you have not changed, or you can use your platform to help change minds and change your situation.

  Do you have any interest in running for office?

  I went to a fund-raiser a few days ago for Stacey Abrams, who is running for governor in Georgia. Listening to her story and her background, for a brief moment, I saw myself in that space as a politician. Honestly, I had never thought of it before. But I’m also one of those people who thinks they can do anything.

  Follow Sopan Deb on Twitter: @sopandeb.

  Follow New York Times Books on Facebook and Twitter (@nytimesbooks), sign up for our newsletter or our literary calendar. And listen to us on the Book Review podcast.
  A version of this article appears in print on , on Page C1 of the New York edition with the headline: An Olympian Counter-Ripostes

• Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibtihaj_Muhammad

  Ibtihaj Muhammad
  Ibtihaj Muhammad 2014-15 Orleans WC teams t130543.jpg
  Ibtihaj Muhammad in 2014
  Personal information
  Country represented United States
  Born December 4, 1985 (age 32)
  Maplewood, New Jersey, US
  Residence New York, New York, US
  Weapon(s) Sabre
  Hand Right
  Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
  Weight 66 kg (146 lb; 10.4 st)
  Club Peter Westbrook Foundation
  Head coach(es) Ed Korfanty
  Personal coach(es) Akhi Spencer-El
  FIE ranking Current ranking
  Medal record
  Olympic Games
  Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team
  World Championships
  Gold medal – first place 2014 Kazan Team
  Bronze medal – third place 2011 Catania Team
  Bronze medal – third place 2012 Kiev Team
  Bronze medal – third place 2013 Budapest Team
  Bronze medal – third place 2015 Moscow Team

  Ibtihaj Muhammad (born December 4, 1985) is an American sabre fencer, and a member of the United States fencing team. She is best known for being the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab while competing for the United States in the Olympics.[1] In individual sabre at the 2016 Summer Olympics, she won her first qualifying round bout, and was defeated in the second round by Cécilia Berder of France. She earned the bronze medal as part of Team USA in the Team Sabre, becoming the first female Muslim-American athlete to earn a medal at the Olympics.
  Contents

  1 Early life
  2 Fencing career
  2.1 2016 Summer Olympics
  2.2 As symbol of America's diversity and tolerance
  3 Other activities
  4 See also
  5 References
  6 External links

  Early life

  Ibtihaj Muhammad was born and raised in Maplewood, New Jersey, a suburb 25 miles (40 km) from Manhattan, and is of African American descent.[2][3] Her parents were born in the United States, and converted to Islam.[4][5] Her father, Eugene Muhammad, is a retired Newark, New Jersey police officer, and her mother, Denise, was an elementary school special education teacher.[3][6][7][7] She has four siblings.[3]

  In accordance with their belief in what was proper dress for a Muslim woman, Ibtihaj’s parents sought out a sport for her to participate in where she could be fully covered and wear a hijab.[8]

  Ibtihaj attended Columbia High School, a public high school in Maplewood, graduating in 2003.[8][9][10]

  In 2007, Ibtihaj graduated from Duke University with dual bachelor's degrees in international relations and African and African-American studies.[11]
  Fencing career

  At Columbia High School, she joined the school fencing team at age 13, fencing under coach Frank Mustilli, now the head and owner of the New Jersey Fencing Alliance.[12][13] Mustilli had her switch weapons, from épée to sabre.[13][14]

  In late 2002, Ibtihaj joined the prestigious Peter Westbrook Foundation, a program which utilizes the sport of fencing as a vehicle to develop life skills in young people from underserved communities. She was invited to train under the Westbrook Foundation's Elite Athlete Program in New York City. She is coached by former PWF student and 2000 Sydney Olympian Akhi Spencer-El.[15]

  Ibtihaj attended Duke University, where she received a scholarship.[16] She was a 3-time All-American and the 2005 Junior Olympic Champion.[17][18] Ibtihaj graduated from Duke University in 2007 with an International Relations and African American Studies double major.[5][19]

  Ibtihaj has been a member of the United States National Fencing Team since 2010. She, as of 2018, ranks No. 3 in the United States and No. 23 in the world. She is a 5-time Senior World medalist, including 2014 World Champion in the team event.[20]
  2016 Summer Olympics

  Ibtihaj was defeated by Cécilia Berder of France in the second round in the Women’s Individual Sabre in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Olympics but still left Rio with a bronze medal.[6][21][22] Despite the loss, she attracted significant media attention.[23]

  She is best known for being the first woman to wear a hijab while competing for the United States in the Olympics.[24] American-born and raised Sarah Attar had run in the 2012 Olympics with her hair covered, in keeping with a request that she do so to respect Islamic law by Saudi Arabia, for whom she ran on the basis of her father having been born in Saudi Arabia.[25]

  Ibtihaj became the first female Muslim-American athlete to earn a medal at the Olympics.[citation needed] She earned a bronze medal in the Team Sabre, along with Monica Aksamit, Dagmara Wozniak, and Mariel Zagunis, by defeating Italy 45-30 in the medal match. This came after defeating Poland 45-43, and losing to Russia 42-45.
  Muhammad at the Sarah Bonnell School in London, UK
  As symbol of America's diversity and tolerance

  The 2016 Summer Olympics occurred during the U.S. Presidential campaign in which questions of Muslim assimilation were being discussed, including with respect to U.S.-born Muslims.[citation needed] Ibtihaj as visibly Muslim (due to her hijab) became "one of the best symbols against intolerance America can ever have", according to The Guardian.[26] However, Ibtihaj drew some criticism during the Olympics by describing the United States as a dangerous place for Muslims, saying that she did "not feel safe" as a Muslim living in America.[27]
  Other activities

  In 2014, Ibtihaj and her siblings launched their own clothing company, Louella, which aims to bring modest fashionable clothing to the United States market.[4] She is also a sports ambassador, serving on the U.S. Department of State’s Empowering Women and Girls Through Sport Initiative. She has traveled to various countries to engage in dialogue on the importance of sports and education.[28][29] In 2017 Mattel introduced a Barbie in a Hijab, which is designed after Ibtihaj.[30]

QUOTE:
"Both the rules of fencing and the tenets of Islam are explained seamlessly in the narrative, making it easy for the reader to understand. Compulsively readable and highly relatable, this is a recommended purchase for libraries serving young adults."

Muhammad, Ibtihaj. Proud: Living My American Dream
Elizabeth Norton
Voice of Youth Advocates. 41.3 (Aug. 2018): p80.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
Muhammad, Ibtihaj. Proud: Living My American Dream. Little, Brown, July 2018. 304p. $17.99. 978-0-316-47700-0.

4Q * 4P * M * J * S

Before becoming the first American woman to compete in the Olympics while wearing hijab and winning a bronze medal in 2016 with the U.S. fencing team, Ibtihaj Muhammad was an African American Muslim girl growing up in New Jersey. From an early age, Muhammad and her siblings were encouraged to participate in sports. In this memoir, she tells her story of growing up Muslim, becoming a fencer because it might help her get into a top college, and the highs and lows on her way to the Olympics.

Muhammad's story touches on faith, family, friendships, politics, sports, and many other topics. The tone is light and conversational, and each chapter begins with an inspirational quote. The book begins with the story of the first time Muhammad became aware of how different she was from her classmates and delves into her childhood, athletic career, and life after the Olympics. Even non-athletes will understand Muhammad's desire to excel at fencing in order to get a college scholarship and her feelings of being out of place as a black woman in a sport dominated by wealthy, white athletes. Both the rules of fencing and the tenets of Islam are explained seamlessly in the narrative, making it easy for the reader to understand. Compulsively readable and highly relatable, this is a recommended purchase for libraries serving young adults.--Elizabeth Norton.

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Norton, Elizabeth. "Muhammad, Ibtihaj. Proud: Living My American Dream." Voice of Youth Advocates, Aug. 2018, p. 80. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A551167916/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=f41a3561. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A551167916

QUOTE:
"[Muhammad's] dedication is impressive, and the many other people populating the pages of her memoir create a portrait of what it takes to make a champion. Readers who are already fans of Muhammad will love her even more, and all readers will gain much inspiration from this heartfelt memoir of a true American hero."

Muhammad, Ibtihaj: PROUD
Kirkus Reviews. (June 1, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Muhammad, Ibtihaj PROUD Little, Brown (Children's Informational) $17.99 7, 24 ISBN: 978-0-316-47700-0

Muhammad, Olympic medalist for the U.S. fencing team, presents a memoir emphasizing the role of sports in her life.

Muhammad, a black, Muslim American who grew up in New Jersey, was raised by loving, supportive parents in a stable home. Her parents had many expectations of her and her siblings, one of which was that they would always participate in a sport. Some readers know the general story of how Muhammad finally picked and stayed with fencing--a sport in which she could wear the team uniform without compromising the modest attire required of her faith--but there are surprises in the details. Muhammad's experiences in schools, in sports, in social situations, and in national and international competitions include moments of joy and exhilaration as well as many periods of isolation and self-doubt. The honesty in her writing makes it easy to connect with her journey, so that even readers who are not interested in the details of fencing will want to keep going to see how she made it all the way. Her dedication is impressive, and the many other people populating the pages of her memoir create a portrait of what it takes to make a champion. Readers who are already fans of Muhammad will love her even more, and all readers will gain much inspiration from this heartfelt memoir of a true American hero.

Like Muhammad herself, this book is a timely gift to us all. (glossary, interview) (Memoir. 10-18)

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Muhammad, Ibtihaj: PROUD." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A540723383/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=3718b206. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A540723383

Olympic Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad Schools Stephen Colbert
Vulture. (Aug. 6, 2016):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 New York Media
http://www.vulture.com/
Full Text:
Byline: Jenni Miller

Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad made a quick stop at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to go en garde with the host himself before she flew off to (http://www.vulture.com/2016/08/what-you-missed-at-the-olympics-opening-ceremony.html?mid=full-rss-vulture) Rio for the (http://www.vulture.com/2016/08/olympics-2016-schedule-event-guide.html?mid=full-rss-vulture) 2016 Olympics. Not only did she school him on the fencing tip, but she also gave the audience a FAQ on wearing a hijab and growing up as an observant Muslim. Muhammad, who was named one of (http://time.com/4301357/ibtihaj-muhammad-2016-time-100/) Time's 100 Most Influential People this year, will be (http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/08/olympic-fencer-ibtihaj-muhammad-to-compete-in-a-hijab.html?mid=full-rss-vulture) the first American to compete in the Olympics in a hijab.

"I remember as a kid being told I couldn't do things, because I was African-American or I was Muslim- In our society, people have misconceptions about Muslims in particular right now, and I want to challenge those misconceptions and show people that Muslims are productive members of our society here, and we do a lot of things - including participate in the Olympics for Team USA," she told Colbert.

Muhammad also has her own fashion line, Louella.

"There was a void in the Muslim community for modest clothing-we're always buying things from overseas-and to have it made available and not just have modest clothing but have it be affordable and fashionable. You can find modest clothes in the States but they're not always cute," she told (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/04/ibtihaj-muhammad-hijab-wearing-olympic-star-i-m-not-safe-in-the-u-s.html) The Daily Beast. Get excited for Muhammad's Olympics events by watching her give Colbert a taste of the old sabre.

To access, purchase, authenticate, or subscribe to the full-text of this article, please visit this link:

http://www.vulture.com/2016/08/olympic-fencer-ibtihaj-muhammad-schools-colbert.html?mid=full-rss-vulture

Jenni Miller

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Olympic Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad Schools Stephen Colbert." Vulture, 6 Aug. 2016. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A460081324/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d728e4f9. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A460081324

Ibtihaj Muhammad
Aysha Khan
The Christian Century. 133.18 (Aug. 31, 2016): p19.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 The Christian Century Foundation
http://www.christiancentury.org
Full Text:
Ibtihaj Muhammad, a 30-year-old fencer, made history in Rio de Janeiro as the first U.S. Olympian to compete in a hijab.

Muhammad, who made Time magazine's 2016 list of the world's 100 most influential people, was a member of the 2014 world champion fencing team. At Rio, she was eliminated in her second bout in the women's sabre tournament on August 8.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Growing up in New Jersey, she was often harassed for wearing sweatpants and long-sleeved shirts beneath her volleyball, track, and tennis uniforms.

One day her mother saw a group of fencers, covered from head to toe as they practiced in the high school cafeteria. Beneath her headgear, her hijab would barely get a second look. "When you get to high school, you're doing it," Muhammad's mother told her.

She doesn't shy away from speaking up for the black and Muslim American communities. In March, she publicly commented about how a volunteer at the South by Southwest media and music festival demanded she remove her hijab to receive her ID badge.

"When a lot of people think of an Olympic athlete or an American Olympic athlete, they probably don't picture someone who looks like me," Muhammad said. "I love that I can be that image of change."--Aysha Khan, Religion News Service

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Khan, Aysha. "Ibtihaj Muhammad." The Christian Century, 31 Aug. 2016, p. 19. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A462685880/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=b3feeaa4. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A462685880

QUOTE:
"The writing is concise, and the replays of Muhammad's matches are riveting. Teen athletes, especially those playing in sports perceived as white, will relate to and value Muhammad's keen perspective on manipulative coaches, college and scholarship applications, racist and Islamophobic abuse from teammates, and the challenge of balancing practice, classwork, and personal academic interests."

MUHAMMAD, Ibtihaj. Proud: Living My American Dream
Della Farrell
School Library Journal. 64.7 (July 2018): p93+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
* MUHAMMAD, Ibtihaj. Proud: Living My American Dream. 240p. glossary. Little, Brown. Jul. 2018. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780316477000.

Gr 6 Up--Fencer and Olympic medalist Muhammad pens an eminently readable account of her childhood through her win at the 2016 Rio Olympics in this must-have memoir. Opening with an ail-too familiar scene, she recalls how a substitute teacher refused to properly pronounce her name, an episode that the Olympian uses to elucidate her motivations behind writing this text: "I wanted to chronicle my quest to challenge society's limited perceptions of what a Muslim woman, a black woman, or an athlete can be." In this regard, and many others, Muhammad excels. Her steadfast trust in herself and the guidance of her family, and her faith shine throughout. Muhammad's retelling of her early home life, her qualification for tire 2016 Olympics, and of blessings big and small are passages filled with love and awe. The writing is concise, and the replays of Muhammad's matches are riveting. Teen athletes, especially those playing in sports perceived as white, will relate to and value Muhammad's keen perspective on manipulative coaches, college and scholarship applications, racist and Islamophobic abuse from teammates, and die challenge of balancing practice, classwork, and personal academic interests. An epilogue discusses her role in creating the nonprofit Athletes for Impact and underlines the importance of defining one's identity for oneself and embracing one's dreams. VERDICT A first purchase for YA nonfiction collections.--Della Farrell, School Library Journal

KEY: * Excellent in relation to other titles on the same subject or in the same genre | Tr Hardcover trade binding | lib. ed. Publisher's library binding | Board Board book | pap. Paperback | e eBook original | BL Bilingual | POP Popular Picks

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Farrell, Della. "MUHAMMAD, Ibtihaj. Proud: Living My American Dream." School Library Journal, July 2018, p. 93+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A545432530/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5a213499. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A545432530

QUOTE:
"Muhammad's ability to face down multiple challenges will doubtless be inspiring to young readers."
'Proud' and other best books to inspire young readers
Abby McGanney Nolan, Kathie Meizner and Mary Quattlebaum
Washingtonpost.com. (July 9, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 The Washington Post
Full Text:
Proud: The Art of Living My American Dream

At the start of "Proud" (Little Brown, ages 8 to 12) Ibtihaj Muhammad marvels how her life unfolded "because I picked up a sword at the age of thirteen." For the rest of this engaging book, Muhammad describes how she held on to that sword, her Muslim beliefs and her family support system -- all the way to the 2016 Olympics, where she was the first American to compete wearing a hijab. Muhammad's commitment to the hijab and to Muslim modesty of dress initially led her to fencing and its full-coverage uniform, but it was the sport itself that captivated her. In Rio, Muhammad won bronze in the women's saber team event. It was a happy if somewhat ironic turn of events considering that she and her teammates didn't get along very well. Why they didn't remains a bit of a mystery to Muhammad, who had enjoyed the camaraderie of her high school fencing team in New Jersey and her training center in New York City. Throughout "Proud," Muhammad writes about both the anti-Muslim hostility she has experienced as well as its antidote -- her faith and the warm support of her family. Muhammad's ability to face down multiple challenges will doubtless be inspiring to young readers.

-- Abby McGanney Nolan

Best Frints at Skrool

"Best Frints at Skrool" (Roaring Brook, ages 4 to 7), by Antionette Portis, is spiced with tongue-in-cheek observations and otherworldly fun, as two friends navigate "skrool" on the planet of Boborp. At skrool, "bloox" get read -- or eaten -- and "frints" play under the neon yellow sky at recess. The two frints look a bit alike with their big tails (pink Omek's has spiky scales), antennae (purple Yelfred's are forked at their ends) and pointy teeth. But when Yelfred befriends Q-B, a grinning red skrool-mate who is mostly a square head, Omek's antennae droop dejectedly. Sharing "yunch" is easier than sharing frints, it seems. A fine, messy fight clears up the question about friendship and alliances, and it's clear that there is usually room for one more in a circle of frints. School on Boborp can be a pretty prickly place, yet it is also filled with the tenderness of connection and loyalty. Young Earthlings and their grown-up readers will certainly relate -- and get a kick out of this extraterrestrial glimpse into human behavior.

-- Kathie Meizner

Front Desk

Kelly Yang explores the dreams and challenges of a Chinese American immigrant family in her warm first novel, "Front Desk" (Scholastic, ages 8 to 12). Mia Tang's hard-working parents believe their luck has turned when they go from living in their car to become managers of a California motel. Mia hopes to settle into fifth grade and wear clothes purchased at a store rather than Goodwill. But the motel's unprincipled owner, Mr. Yao, soon bilks Mia's family, and his son bullies Mia at school. With her parents overwhelmed by the constant cleaning and laundry, Mia takes over the front desk when she isn't at school. How can her family ever feel free in a country where "everything was so expensive," she wonders. Mia also observes the impact of poverty and racial prejudice on the motel's few working-class residents and on fellow immigrants secretly sheltered by her parents. Mia takes a big risk and labors over letters and essays that she hopes will lead to better jobs and lives for those she cares about. The author draws upon her childhood experiences in the early 1990s to create a gritty but ultimately optimistic middle-grade novel that shows how, with kindness and resolve, "strangers from all corners of the world" might "find each other and reemerge as a new family."

-- Mary Quattlebaum

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Nolan, Abby McGanney, et al. "'Proud' and other best books to inspire young readers." Washingtonpost.com, 9 July 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A546164236/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=a40afb98. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A546164236

FIVE REASONS YOU SHOULD KNOW IBTIHAJ MUHAMMAD
Cindy Schweich Handler and North Jersey Record
The Record (Bergen County, NJ). (Apr. 7, 2018): Lifestyle: pBL2.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 North Jersey Media Group Inc.
http://www.northjersey.com
Full Text:
Byline: Cindy Schweich Handler, North Jersey Record

Maplewood native Ibtihaj Muhammad, 32, has broken a lot of barriers since taking up fencing at age 13. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, she became the first female Muslim-American Athlete to win an Olympic medal--a bronze, as part of the U.S. women's team sabre competition. And she did this as the first Muslim-American woman to compete in the Olympics while wearing a hijab. That year, Time Magazine named her to its "100 Most Influential People" list. Now her memoir, Proud: An American Story ofFaith, Family and Olympic Glory, is scheduled for publication this summer. Her family's faith informed her choice of sport Muhammad's mother and father were born in the United States, and converted to Islam. As a child, she competed in softball, tennis, volleyball, and track, but fencing appealed to her parents because participants wear full body suits and helmets that cover their hair, in keeping with the practice of Muslim women. She isn't the only fencer in her family Her sister Faizah, who is six years younger, finished 15th in the USA National Fencing Division 1 championships in women's sabre; she won the individual New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association sabre championship in 2009 and 2010, when she also took second place in the Junior Olympics. Not only does she wear modest clothing, she designs it In 2014, Muhammad launched the clothing line Louella with her siblings. She designs the line of flowing, brightly-colored dresses, tops, jumpsuits and pants, including the "Modesty" sweatshirt that bears the expression "Everything is Better in Hijab." While she never had to defend her right to wear a hijab during the Olympics, she had a hard time at South by Southwest Before the 2016 Olympics, Muhammad was scheduled to speak on a panel at SXSW in Austin, but a volunteer insisted that she had to remove it for her photo ID. Eventually she was given a badge, though with a different Muhammad's name on it. Mattel created a hijab-wearing Barbie in her image The new addition to the Barbie "Shero" line was created last winter. "I'm proud to know that little girls everywhere can now play with a Barbie who chooses to wear a hijab!" Muhammad wrote on Instagram. "This is a childhood dream come true." The Barbie should be available to the public some time this year.

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Handler, Cindy Schweich, and North Jersey Record. "FIVE REASONS YOU SHOULD KNOW IBTIHAJ MUHAMMAD." Record [Bergen County, NJ], 7 Apr. 2018, p. BL2. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A533692967/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=1fb66260. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A533692967

First hijab-wearing Barbie based on Ibtihaj Muhammad
Al Jazeera America. (Nov. 14, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 The Publisher Agents FZ LLC
http://america.aljazeera.com/
Full Text:
Barbie will release its first hijab-wearing character in 2018, a doll based on the Olympian fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad.

The 31-year-old sportswoman rose to fame at the 2016 Summer Olympics, after becoming the first female Muslim-American to earn a medal at the games, and the first American woman to don the headscarf at the competition.

"Thank you @Mattel for announcing me as the newest member of the @Barbie #Shero family! I'm proud to know that little girls everywhere can now play with a Barbie who chooses to wear hijab! This is a childhood dream come true," said Muhammad, writing on Twitter.

"Shero" is a portmanteau of she and hero, referring to positive female role models.

{articleGUID}

Barbie confirmed the news on Monday, after an unveiling ceremony at Glamour magazine's Women of the Year summit.

"Ibtihaj continues to inspire women and girls everywhere to break boundaries," the company said on Twitter.

Social media users applauded the move as a significant step towards representation.

"We now finally have in 2017 a hijab wearing @Barbie with the last name Muhammad ... Say it again for the People in the back: REPRESENTATION MATTERS," said Qasim Rashid, a human rights activist.

"LOVE this! @Barbie's first doll with a hijab is modeled after @IbtihajMuhammad. Representation matters. Black. Muslim. Magic," said Britni Danielle, a writer.

Simran Jeet Singh, also an activist, said the news about the doll came as GQ magazine named the black American activist and sportsman Colin Kaepernick as Citizen of the Year.

"Let's elect diverse minorities to help lead this country. Let's do this America. The future is ours," he wrote.

"Shout out to @Mattel for making the Ibtihaj Muhammad "Shero" doll," said law professor and commentator Khaled Beydoun.

The first black Barbie was named Christie and launched in 1968. The first African American Barbie was created in the 1980s.

The company recently launched a collection featuring curvy, tall and petite dolls.

However, not everyone was pleased about the latest doll.

Twitter user Amy Mek, who describes herself as a psychotherapist and supporter of US President Donald Trump, accused Muhammad of anti-Semitism.

{articleGUID}

Ann Coulter, a far-right US commentator, made a distasteful joke on the social media site, writing: "ISIS Ken sold separately."

Other individuals and businesses, tired of waiting for mainstream companies to diversify their output, have previously manufactured hijab-wearing dolls.

In February 2016, Haneefah Adam gained thousands of Instagram followers and some customers after designing "Hijarbie".

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"First hijab-wearing Barbie based on Ibtihaj Muhammad." Al Jazeera America, 14 Nov. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A514412474/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=4096d3c9. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A514412474

She Won the Bronze. Now This Muslim-American Olympian Wants the Gold-for Her Country
The Daily Beast. (Aug. 6, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 The Daily Beast Company LLC
http://www.thedailybeast.com
Full Text:
Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty

Some rise to challenges; others get crushed by them. It would've been easy for Ibtihaj Muhammad to give in to her daunting challenges, from racism to Islamophobia to depression. But that isn't what this Maplewood, New Jersey native is about.

In her new book, (https://www.amazon.com/Proud-Fight-Unlikely-American-Dream/dp/0316518964) Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream, Muhammad closes with a powerful sentiment that sums up not only her own struggles, but those of so many minorities in America: "I've had to fight for every win, every place at the table, every ounce of respect on my path to world-class athlete." She then shared her next goal: "And I will continue to fight because the prize this time-an America that truly respects all of its citizens-is worth more than any medal. Inshallah: so, may it be."

"Inshallah," for those who unfamiliar, simply is Arabic for, "God willing." We, Muslims, love to use (and overuse that word.) For some it can mean, I will sit back and hope God will make it happen. But for those like Muhammad, it means you need to go out and take it.

"Some wait for a seat at the table," this bronze medal-winning Olympian explained to me in an interview, "[but] I don't need a seat. I'm pulling up a chair and telling you I'm here whether you like it or not."

That philosophy drove Muhammad to excel in challenge after challenge. For starters, she was the only African American student in her school in New Jersey. Add to that, she's Muslim, and by high school she began wearing a hijab-the simple scarf head-covering-making her even more different from her classmates. And then she became a fencer, which again posed obstacles, given it's a sport with few people of color at the top levels.

But none of this deterred Muhammad from her Olympic dream. She climbed to the 7th-ranked female fencer in the world in 2015-2016, notching individual and team medals at world championships in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, Muhammad made history as the first Muslim American woman wearing a hijab to make the U.S. Olympic team. And while she didn't win an individual medal, losing in the second round, she soon made history again becoming the first Muslim American woman to ever win an Olympic medal as the U.S. Team won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio games. The (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/13/ibtihaj-muhammad-fencing-olympics-2016-bronze) picture of a hijab-wearing Muhammad biting the bronze medal, as Olympians traditionally do, went viral thrusting this iconoclast to new heights.

Since then, she was named by Time magazine to its 100 most influential people of the year and there's even a (https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-cant-ban-this-muslimshes-a-barbie-doll) new Barbie doll made in her likeliness-complete with a toy sabre and hijab.

Again, another first.

Muhammad candidly admits that even she is surprised by some of her success, explaining, "When I look back on the obstacles and hurdles in my life, sometimes I wonder how I made it through the arduous moments." And there were indeed some very "arduous moments."

After graduating from Duke University, she supported her dream of making the 2012 U.S. Olympic team by working at a Dollar Store and as a substitute teacher. Despite being a three time All-American at Duke and her tireless training, Muhammad didn't qualify for the 2012 Olympic team. That type of setback may have led a lesser person to put her Olympic dreams on the shelf and move on to a more traditional life. But she persevered and finally at age 30 made the 2016 team. "Qualifying for the Olympic team was in some ways more fulfilling than winning medal," she explained.

The challenges for Muhammad, however, were far from over. As she became more visible given her success, she was subject to anti-Muslim hate. Once she was even followed by man after a practice who (https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/books/from-trump-to-feeling-like-a-second-class-citizen-in-the-olympic-team-ibtihaj-muhammad-is-as-sharp-with-her-words-as-she-is-with-a-sabre-1.753461) accused her of being a terrorist with a bomb.

More surprisingly, however, she even suffered challenges on the U.S. Olympic team she had worked so hard to make. Muhammad explained in her book of being made to feel like a (https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/books/from-trump-to-feeling-like-a-second-class-citizen-in-the-olympic-team-ibtihaj-muhammad-is-as-sharp-with-her-words-as-she-is-with-a-sabre-1.753461) "second class citizen" by her coach and teammates. As Muhammad described in her book, her challenges ranged from social slights such as her teammates going to dinner and not inviting her to those that impacted her sport such as her coach accusing her of being lazy or slacking off during Ramadan when she was fasting. "I think my team viewed me as so different from themselves that they didn't know how to relate and they weren't willing to put the effort in to figure it out," she writes.

And while on the outside Muhammad was fulfilling the American dream, she was actually suffering in silence from a new, potentially devastating challenge: depression. As the Jersey native candidly shared, "the long periods of sadness and fatigue" felt unshakable. Soon her depression began manifesting in performance anxiety before big fencing events. But with professional help and the support of her family, she was able to cope with it.

Muhammad has a loud message for those suffering from depression: "Don't be afraid to ask for help!" She added that "seeking help from a medical professional was one of the best decisions of my life," allowing her to become the best version of herself.

But Muhammad has broken more than just Olympic barriers. There's another place she's having an impact that's not as visible: within the Muslim American community. Typically, speakers at Muslim American events in the past have been men, primarily of Arab and South Asian heritage. But that's been changing in recent years with organizations increasingly inviting African American Muslims to be keynote speakers. African Americans represent the biggest part of the Muslim American community, but they've not always been welcomed by some immigrant Muslim leaders.

And now Muhammad is taking that a step further by often being the first black woman whom American Muslim groups have featured as the "star" of the event. This is a great trend that appears to be getting increasing support within the Muslim American community.

Overall, Muhammad's greatest hope is that her story will inspire young women and girls of all backgrounds to go after their own version of the American dream. "It's not always going to be easy, and you will fall at times," Muhammad noted, adding, "it's what you do after the fall that is most important." That very lesson is fueling her to achieve her next dream of an America that truly respects all of its citizens. That's a dream that sadly in today's America seems more daunting and unreachable than winning an Olympic medal. Despite those long odds, however, one thing is clear from her track record: Muhammad won't be giving in to this challenge any time soon.

(https://www.thedailybeast.com/she-won-the-bronze-now-this-muslim-american-olympian-wants-the-goldfor-her-country?source=articles&via=rss) Read more at The Daily Beast.

To access, purchase, authenticate, or subscribe to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: https://www.thedailybeast.com/she-won-the-bronze-now-this-muslim-american-olympian-wants-the-goldfor-her-country?source=articles&via=rss

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"She Won the Bronze. Now This Muslim-American Olympian Wants the Gold-for Her Country." Daily Beast, 6 Aug. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A549099223/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=92320073. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A549099223

Olympian, alum Ibtihaj Muhammad: 'When I thought about fencing at Duke, my stomach clenched'
Likhitha Butchireddygari
UWIRE Text. (Aug. 2, 2018): p1.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Uloop Inc.
http://uwire.com/?s=UWIRE+Text&x=26&y=14&=Go
Full Text:
Byline: Likhitha Butchireddygari

Ibtihaj Muhammad, Trinity '07 and Olympic Bronze medalist, described how her future and identity were shaped during her time at Duke in her new book, "Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream."

The book details her journey to Duke and her time on campus, as well as the reasons she ultimately decided to leave the fencing team her senior year. Despite being a world-class athlete and strong student, Muhammad's acceptance to Duke was met with condescension from her peers, she wrote, adding that her classmates remarked that she only got into Duke because of her race.

Muhammad noted that she chose Duke because it offered her a better financial package than New York University or Columbia University, though she had doubts about moving to the South.

"I wasn't sold on going so far away from home for college--living in New Jersey, I just assumed I'd land somewhere in the Northeast--but I couldn't turn down an amazing opportunity even if it did mean going to school below the Mason-Dixon line, a line I was a little bit hesitant to cross as an African-American hijabi," she described. "I didn't know what kind of welcome I'd receive in North Carolina, but I figured on Duke's campus I'd be in a safe environment where I would surely be able to find my 'people.'"

At Duke, Muhammad excelled as an athlete--she was a three-time All-American and Junior Olympic National Champion. Despite her success in fencing, she wrote about never feeling fully accepted by the Duke fencing team, noting that "most of the other women on the team didn't seem interested in getting to know" her.

She added that she realized that she would "never have the family feeling at Duke" as she had on her high school team or the Peter Westbrook Foundation, where she previously trained.

Describing Duke as "overwhelmingly white," she also chronicled experiences where she was put in uncomfortable situations by her teammates, as she was one of two Black fencers.

"If the only problems on the fencing team were about certain girls not wanting to be my friends, I wouldn't have minded that much, but the real issues at play were laced with racial undertones," she said. "My friend Josh and I were the only Black fencers on Duke's team, and we both were on the receiving end of endless numbers of 'harmless jokes' and offhand comments that permeated our team culture."

Recalling being asked whether she and her friend like fried chicken and watermelon for dinner, Muhammad even lambasted her former teammates for their lack of originality with their racism.

She described feeling "like an outsider." Along with her friend, Muhammad eventually left the team her senior year because of the micro-aggressions, as well as the struggle of maintaining the balance of athletics, school work and a social life.

"When I thought about fencing at Duke, my stomach clenched, and a wave of dread passed over me. I curled my toes in the sand. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine my life at Duke without fencing," she wrote. "I had my own dreams to pursue, and making Duke's fencing team a more inclusive space wasn't one of them."

Art Chase, associate director of athletics/external affairs, responded in an email to The Chronicle to claims she made in the book regarding the fencing team's treatment of her, adding that Duke Athletics has "strengthened [its] culture of inclusiveness" since Muhammad was a student.

"Duke University Athletics, comprised of nearly 700 student-athletes and more than 250 staff members from a wide variety of backgrounds, strives for inclusiveness," Chase wrote in an email. "Certainly, we constantly evaluate that critically important aspect of our department, among others, in order to provide the best possible experience for each and every one of our student-athletes."

Chase added that the department "could not be more proud" of Muhammad for her success at Duke and post-graduation and called her an "inspiration."

What Muhammad didn't necessarily find in the fencing team, she found in the Muslim Students Association--a community.

"Even though the MSA was a group with way more men than women and still had zero other hijabis in the organization, I decided to officially join the MSA and get from the group what I could," Muhammad wrote. "It wasn't about what other people could bring to my life, it was what I wanted for myself. And what I wanted was a Muslim community that I could pray with and also have fun with."

Despite her struggle with acceptance, community and identity, she wrote that she found pride and conviction at the end of her Duke journey.

"By the time I hit graduated, I felt confident and comfortable with who I was, as a Black American woman and as a Muslim American woman," Muhammad wrote. "All told, I felt like Duke had given me an excellent education in mind, body and spirit. I graduated knowing so much more about myself and my history."

Joyce Er

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Butchireddygari, Likhitha. "Olympian, alum Ibtihaj Muhammad: 'When I thought about fencing at Duke, my stomach clenched'." UWIRE Text, 2 Aug. 2018, p. 1. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A549417016/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ad69036e. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A549417016

An Olympian Counter-Ripostes
Sopan Deb
The New York Times. (July 28, 2018): Arts and Entertainment: pC1(L).
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com
Full Text:
Ibtihaj Muhammad found fencing when she was 12 years old, growing up in Maplewood, N.J., or rather, her mother, Denise, found it for her. As a practicing Muslim, her mother was eager to find a sport that would allow her daughter to dress modestly, to honor Islam.

This launched an unexpected, barrier-breaking career for Ms. Muhammad, who, in 2016, became the first Muslim woman to represent the United States at the Olympics wearing a hijab. She was part of the women's saber team that won a bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro, which continued her meteoric rise to fame. Time magazine placed Ms. Muhammad on its list of ''The 100 Most Influential People''; Hillary Clinton tweeted about her during the presidential campaign; and a Barbie doll has been modeled after her.

But in her new memoir, ''Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream,'' which is out this month along with a young readers edition, Ms. Muhammad documents the alienation she felt from her teammates and coach, the death threats that she said neither the United States Fencing Association nor the Olympic committee took seriously, and her feelings of anxiety and despair.

In a phone conversation from Los Angeles, Ms. Muhammad, 32, was reflective in discussing her life, the discrimination she faced growing up in a predominantly white suburb, where her political activism might lead and why the Olympic experience was bittersweet.

This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

It's interesting that your mother pushed you toward fencing, in part because it is an accessible sport for observant Muslims. Were you skeptical at first?

I didn't know much about it. But I have never been averse to trying new things. I didn't love it at first, but I did go home and look into fencing a little bit more. I remember looking at the Top 10 schools and seeing if they had fencing teams. I thought I could use it as a way to beef up my resume.

What are the biggest misconceptions about female Muslim athletes that you are trying to dispel?

We exist. For the Olympic team, for the United States, I've changed the narrative for the Muslim community in the way that we've been perceived. And if you take that a step further and look at the way Muslim women see themselves, these young girls who haven't had anyone at this level of sport do that on the world stage -- compete at the highest level of sport. To do that is changing the way Muslim women think about themselves and perceive themselves.

When you were in Paris , you were approached for autographs for the first time at a world championship. What was that like?

I was very confused. It was my first world championship. I was so excited. For me, it already felt like a huge achievement. This was in the middle of Paris. We were competing at the Grand Palais. The whole thing is unfolding like a fairy tale, in the sense that Paris is the epicenter of fencing in the world. In France, a place that has struggled with the idea of hijab and with the Muslim community, I feel like it was a moment for even French citizens to see a Muslim woman on television.

I think what people will find most surprising about your story is the amount of resistance you faced from Ed Korfanty, your coach, and teammates on Team U.S.A. Why do you think they were so resistant to your success?

It's hard to put your finger on it. A lot of it has to do with fencing being an individual sport. It's a very competitive, contentious environment. There's a limited number of spots on the team.

For me, that initial pushback was not there until I started to win. Initially, it was just kind of like, ''You're different. Let's ask weird questions about hijab and prayers.'' But they were really more out of pure ignorance than hatred. Really silly things like, ''Do you use a magic carpet to pray?'' Stuff like that. These are the kind of ''microaggressions'' I had to endure. But then I realized that as I started to climb and do better, the energy changes because then you're seen as a threat. My teammates would do really silly things, like not telling me there was a team practice. Then it became very clear: ''We don't want you here.''

Having to navigate that space, unfortunately, can be common for athletes who are among the first in their sport.

After the Olympics, you write in your book that you received a death threat. Was that your first one?

No. I've had quite a few.

Did that start after the Olympics?

I had them before the Games. The interesting thing about that is the United States Fencing Association and the Olympic committee didn't take them as seriously as I thought that they should. They would send them to me, which, to me, plays a part in my mental state as an athlete. I don't think that it was helpful at all. If anything, as a national governing body, I would hope that the U.S.A. Fencing would want to protect me, and I never felt that from them. It just always seemed like a burden to even have to deal with it. And what more of a burden is there than having a death threat made against you?

You've been outspoken about President Trump. Have you always been interested in politics?

One of my majors at Duke University was international relations so I've always had an interest in politics. But I think that this current political climate is more difficult for the Muslim and black communities than it has been in a really long time. The Muslim community has it harder now than after September 11. It's like you're backed into a corner. You can either continue to operate as normal, as an athlete, and pretend that you have not changed, or you can use your platform to help change minds and change your situation.

D o you have any interest in running for office?

I went to a fund-raiser a few days ago for Stacey Abrams, who is running for governor in Georgia. Listening to her story and her background, for a brief moment, I saw myself in that space as a politician. Honestly, I had never thought of it before. But I'm also one of those people who thinks they can do anything.

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CAPTION(S):

PHOTOS: Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first Muslim woman to represent the United States at the Olympics wearing a hijab, has written a memoir about her experiences. (PHOTOGRAPH BY LUCY NICHOLSON/REUTERS) (C1); Ibtihaj Muhammad's new memoir, along with a young readers edition, is out this month. (C5)

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Deb, Sopan. "An Olympian Counter-Ripostes." New York Times, 28 July 2018, p. C1(L). General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A547966093/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=4ffac7eb. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A547966093

Norton, Elizabeth. "Muhammad, Ibtihaj. Proud: Living My American Dream." Voice of Youth Advocates, Aug. 2018, p. 80. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A551167916/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=f41a3561. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018. "Muhammad, Ibtihaj: PROUD." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A540723383/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=3718b206. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018. "Olympic Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad Schools Stephen Colbert." Vulture, 6 Aug. 2016. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A460081324/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d728e4f9. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018. Khan, Aysha. "Ibtihaj Muhammad." The Christian Century, 31 Aug. 2016, p. 19. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A462685880/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=b3feeaa4. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018. Farrell, Della. "MUHAMMAD, Ibtihaj. Proud: Living My American Dream." School Library Journal, July 2018, p. 93+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A545432530/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5a213499. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018. Nolan, Abby McGanney, et al. "'Proud' and other best books to inspire young readers." Washingtonpost.com, 9 July 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A546164236/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=a40afb98. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018. Handler, Cindy Schweich, and North Jersey Record. "FIVE REASONS YOU SHOULD KNOW IBTIHAJ MUHAMMAD." Record [Bergen County, NJ], 7 Apr. 2018, p. BL2. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A533692967/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=1fb66260. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018. "First hijab-wearing Barbie based on Ibtihaj Muhammad." Al Jazeera America, 14 Nov. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A514412474/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=4096d3c9. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018. "She Won the Bronze. Now This Muslim-American Olympian Wants the Gold-for Her Country." Daily Beast, 6 Aug. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A549099223/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=92320073. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018. Butchireddygari, Likhitha. "Olympian, alum Ibtihaj Muhammad: 'When I thought about fencing at Duke, my stomach clenched'." UWIRE Text, 2 Aug. 2018, p. 1. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A549417016/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ad69036e. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018. Deb, Sopan. "An Olympian Counter-Ripostes." New York Times, 28 July 2018, p. C1(L). General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A547966093/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=4ffac7eb. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.

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