Posted on June 19th, 2022.

Arif Khatib, Arkansas native and resident of California's Bay Area, returned to the Natural State to discuss and sign copies of "In the Shadow of Obscurity: Toiling in a Reluctant Society" (ENH Publishing, $15), the book he co-wrote with Pete Elman describing the historic trials, tribulations and struggles of lesser-known nonwhite athletes in an America that wasn't ready to embrace them or their achievements. The book signing was July 30 at Nourish Wellness in Little Rock.

Afterward the official Arkansas premiere screening of the documentary film, "Because They Believed: Minority Athletic Trailblazers Who Broke Through the Racial Divide," took place at Arkansas Baptist College's Old Main auditorium. Co-produced by Khatib, the film's theme echoes that of the book. It features interviews with such figures as sprinters and 1968 Olympic Games protesters Dr. John Carlos and Dr. Tommie Smith; Tom Flores, the Super Bowl-winning NFL player and coach; Dr. Herbert H. Carnegie, hockey player; Rosie Bonds, Olympic runner; Dr. Tae Yun Kim, first female grand master in tae kwon do; Mal Whitfield, Tuskegee Airman and Olympic gold medalist in track and field; and Yoshihiro "Yosh" Uchida, head judo coach at San Jose State University.

Question-and-answer sessions ended the book signing and film viewing, the latter of which was attended largely by student athletes at Arkansas Baptist.

Khatib, who originally hails from the Dallas County town of Carthage, is founder of the Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame.