book tour + website redesign

Overview

Political historian, Deondra Rose, Ph.D., partnered with Mancala Collective to expand the visibility and accessibility of her scholarship on HBCUs, democracy, and public policy. Through an integrated communications strategy, Mancala supported media outreach, author visibility, digital storytelling, and a website redesign that positioned Dr. Rose's research for broader public engagement beyond academic audiences.

Services Provided:

• Book tour / speaking engagement strategy

• Website redesign strategy and content

• Thought leadership positioning

• Social media strategy

• Event and speaking promotion

• Digital storytelling

• Communications advising

The Challenge

Dr. Rose is a nationally recognized scholar and author. Her book, The Power of Black Excellence: HBCUs and the Fight for American Democracy, was positioned to generate significant interest at the intersection of higher education, democracy, and Black political thought. But visibility required more than academic credibility. It required translating complex scholarship into compelling public-facing narratives that could reach educators, policymakers, journalists, students, and community organizations. Dr. Rose also needed a stronger digital platform that reflected both her academic rigor and her identity as a public intellectual.

Mancala's Approach

We developed a book tour outreach plan that positioned Dr. Rose’s new book as a celebration of HBCUs and an intervention in higher education policy studies.

We led media outreach to secure interviews and speaking opportunities, provided strategic advising around public engagement, and developed content designed to make key themes from Dr. Rose's research accessible to broader audiences without sacrificing intellectual depth.

We also led the strategy and content development for a redesigned website that showcased her scholarship, media appearances, publications, and speaking engagements. The redesign created a clearer narrative structure around her work and strengthened her digital presence across audiences.

Key Deliverables

• Communications and visibility strategy

• Media outreach and interview coordination

• Website redesign strategy and content

• Public-facing messaging development

• Social media and digital communications support

• Event and speaking engagement promotion

• Narrative positioning for broader audiences

Impact

The engagement strengthened Dr. Rose's public profile as a leading voice on HBCUs, democracy, and Black political participation.

The communications strategy supported Dr. Rose's visibility across multiple high-profile platforms:

• Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference — Book launch event during CBC's ALC Week (150 registrants)

• South by Southwest (SXSW) — Presentation and book signing at one of the nation's premier innovation and culture conferences

• New York Public Library — Speaking engagement at a nationally recognized cultural institution

• Speaking opportunity alongside Stacey Abrams — Co-platforming with a leading national voice on democracy and voting rights

• Howard University — In-person speaking engagement with education leadership class

• 2 virtual events — Digital public programming expanding audience reach

Media hits featuring The Power of Black Excellence:

• The New York Times

• WUNC/ HBCU 101

• WABE

• Application to Admission (podcast)

• AFRO American Newspaper

• WHUR

• The Signorile Show

The work expanded the accessibility of her scholarship and created a stronger foundation for ongoing thought leadership and future public engagement.