Glancing at the illustration of the boy with the far-off stare standing next to a bus on the cover of the graphic novel memoir that will tell his story, Akim Aliu immediately remembers the pain of growing up poor and Black in Toronto.
From the hours spent alone riding public transit to and from arenas across the city to the strips of duct tape holding together the garage sale-purchased hockey equipment bag slung over his shoulder, the depiction of a teenaged Aliu hits home. Aliu was born in Nigeria to mixed-race parents and then lived in Ukraine before the family moved to Canada.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a simple cover, but tells a long, deep story of a lot of sorrow, a lot of sad days, a lot of tears, a lot of uncertainty and feeling different and, to be honest, feeling left out, feeling like youB次元官网网址檙e not part of the society as it stands,B次元官网网址� said Aliu, now 32. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 powerful, and it really hits me. And I hope people take the time to digest it, and learn a little bit more about my story.B次元官网网址�
Titled B次元官网网址淎kim Aliu Dreamer: Growing Up Black in the World of Hockey,B次元官网网址� the graphic novel is due out in February, and is being co-released by Scholastic and former NFL quarterback Colin KaepernickB次元官网网址檚 publishing company. The release, announced Thursday, comes on the heels of KaepernickB次元官网网址檚 own best-selling picture book, B次元官网网址淚 Color Myself Different,B次元官网网址� which details a similar tale of an athlete transcending their sport by speaking out on inequality.
Aimed for an audience of 8- to 12-year-olds, Aliu shares his journey of dealing with the difficulties of assimilating in Ukraine and Canada. It details the hazing and systemic racism he experienced pursuing his dream of playing pro hockey before eventually finding his voice in forcing the sport of hockey to confront its bias toward people of color.
Aliu was a journeyman minor leaguer who appeared in seven NHL career games with the Calgary Flames over two seasons before he made two life-altering .
In allegations proven to be true, Aliu revealed then-Flames coach Bill Peters bullied and directed racist slurs at him when the two were in the minors a decade earlier. Peters resigned days later, and AliuB次元官网网址檚 revelations led to the in a bid to eradicate racism in whatB次元官网网址檚 traditionally been a white-dominated sport.
Aliu has since co-founded a players-backed to raise awareness and make hockey more accessible to minorities and underprivileged youth.
Aliu said he never envisioned being the subject of a graphic novel, and doesnB次元官网网址檛 consider himself being some sort of superhero. He hopes that sharing his past helps ease the feelings of hopelessness others might be experiencing.
B次元官网网址淔or the longest time, I think hockey took so much out of me because I was trying to fit into this mold,B次元官网网址� said Aliu, who last played pro hockey in the Czech Republic in the final weeks of the 2019-20 season. B次元官网网址淚 kind of came to peace where I was just happy in my own skin.B次元官网网址�
The book is being co-written by Greg Anderson Elysee, a Haitian-American writer and film-maker, and illustrated by Karen De la Vega, who is making her publishing debut.
AliuB次元官网网址檚 message of speaking out against injustice is also now tied to his roots, given the war in Ukraine, and watching in horror footage of his former neighborhood devastated by shelling. With a Nigerian father and Ukrainian mother, Aliu spent much of his first nine years living in Kyiv before the family moved to Canada.
He is now working on bringing the remainder of his motherB次元官网网址檚 family and others to Canada in a process that began with relocating his grandfather from Kyiv a month before RussiaB次元官网网址檚 invasion. He said he has been in contact with CanadaB次元官网网址檚 United Nations ambassador, Bob Rae, on speeding up the visa process for refugees, and is also donating $50,000 to Ukrainian-based charitable foundations.
Just as he was bullied during a hazing incident during his rookie season in the Ontario Hockey League, Aliu sees Russian President Vladimir Putin doing the same to Ukraine: B次元官网网址淵ou just canB次元官网网址檛 grasp how a human being cannot care about humans so much based on power and greed and ego.B次元官网网址�
Long gone are the days Aliu was so ashamed of riding public transit heB次元官网网址檇 keep it a secret from his teammates, or the person who was too fearful to speak out on racism in fear of jeopardizing his career. He believes he is stronger for the adversity he has faced.
AliuB次元官网网址檚 nickname, B次元官网网址淒reamer,B次元官网网址� has taken on a deeper meaning over time. People initially began calling him that because Aliu was Nigerian, just like former NBA star Hakeem B次元官网网址淭he DreamB次元官网网址� Olajuwon.
Today, the nickname better describes the person heB次元官网网址檚 become.
B次元官网网址淚 feel like this is a conversation, especially in the game of hockey, thatB次元官网网址檚 never really been had at this level,B次元官网网址� Aliu said. B次元官网网址淎nd IB次元官网网址檇 like to say that I had a part in that coming out with my story and not really backing down from the establishment on wanting to make change. And IB次元官网网址檒l continue to dream.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址擩ohn Wawrow, The Associated Press
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