Description

From celebrated ballerina and New York Times bestselling author Misty Copeland a heartfelt memoir about her friendship with trailblazer Raven Wilkinson which captures the importance of mentorship shared history and honoring the past to ensure a stronger future

Misty Copeland made history as the first AfricanAmerican principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre Her talent passion and perseverance enabled her to make strides no one had accomplished before But as she will tell you achievement never happens in a void Behind her supporting her rise was her mentor Raven Wilkinson Raven had been virtually alone in her quest to breach the allwhite ballet world when she fought to be taken seriously as a Black ballerina in the 1950s and 60s A trailblazer in the world of ballet decades before Mistys time Raven faced overt and casual racism hostile crowds and death threats for having the audacity to dance ballet

The Wind at My Back tells the story of two unapologetically Black ballerinas their friendship and how they changed each otherand the dance worldforever Misty Copeland shares her own struggles with racism and exclusion in her pursuit of this dream career and honors the women like Raven who paved the way for her but whose contributions have gone unheralded She celebrates the connection she made with her mentor the only teacher who could truly understand the obstacles she faced beyond the technical or artistic demands

A beautiful and wise memoir of intergenerational friendship and the impressive journeys of two remarkable women The Wind at My Back captures the importance of mentorship of shared history and of respecting the past to ensure a stronger future