Sometimes at Beacon we talk about prophetic publishing—when books come out at the exact time they are most needed. Over the last month we've been experiencing just that with ESPN reporter Howard Bryant’s The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism. Just a couple of weeks after the book's release, NFL owners approved a policy to prevent players from kneeling on the field during the national anthem, and President Trump disinvited the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles from a planned visit to the White House.
The media response has been outstanding.TV appearances have included Meet the Press with Chuck Todd, Live with Alex Witt, Politics Nation with Al Sharpton, Greater Boston, and PBS NewsHour. Bryant's many NPR interviews include Fresh Air, Weekend Edition Saturday and Sunday, and conversations with Radio Boston, The Exchange, WBUR News, Boston Public Radio, and THINK. An op-ed ran in the New York Times, and the book was also included in the Times Book Review’s Summer Reading edition. The Nation posted a Q&A, and additional coverage ran at the Boston Globe, Pacific Standard, Salon, The Undefeated, and the Toronto Star. Excerpts from the book were featured at ESPN the Magazine, Mother Jones, and LitHub.
