In 1964, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar it was already a reality. All New York knew his name by then, Lew Alcindor, because his exploits at Power Memorial Academy had gone beyond the walls of Lincoln Square. A 17-year-old player who was over 7 feet tall and who would end up going on a 71-game winning streak, a 79-2 record over three years and more than 2,000 points and 2,000 rebounds. While everyone saw a giant capable of dominating a basketball court with his mere presence and an array of technical skills that made him unique, he intended to go beyond what those four lines and two baskets could offer him.
Born and raised in Harlem, Kareem soon felt in his flesh the harshness of the streets and the glass ceiling that society seemed to have prepared for him almost from birth. From the window of his Dyckman Projects home, Liu became aware of the world around him and the injustices happening there., more if possible when he contrasts life in his neighborhood with everything that surrounded his High School. For this reason Abdul-Jabbar, despite his youth, he tried to educate himself and learn all he could about historyfrom most recent to most distant, starting with black history.
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Finishing the school season, Abdul-Jabbar joined the HARYOU (Harlem Youth Action Project) summer program, a public anti-poverty action program designed by New York City to keep kids off the streets while training them for their cultural heritage. This platform argued that the key to crime prevention was empowering black youth by providing them with job opportunities as well as making these communities aware of their origins and history. Kareem was part of the association all summer as a journalist, as he would be responsible for covering the events and news of the program which regularly brought in special guests from its director, John Henrik Clarke.
In June he would act for the program Martin Luther King Jr. A figure that caused some doubts in the young Abdul-Jabbar, mainly because he had grown up in Harlem, the area of influence of Malcolm X, which made Kareem much closer to the ideas of the Nebraska-born politician. However, that press conference the future NBA center took part in forever changed the way he views the world and especially Luther King. “He encouraged us to imagine a better Harlem and, beyond Harlem, a better America.” Kareem wrote years later.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8Rx5pxWs-c
At the age of 17, Abdul-Jabbar not only had the opportunity to attend a Luther King press conference, but was even able to ask him a question. There, surrounded by the entire national press, the man who would define the NBA for the next 20 years asked the leading civil rights activist this question: “What do you think about the importance of Dr. Clark’s show to the people of Harlem?” The future Nobel Peace Prize winner responded by assuring that this program was already successful for the community. “From that day on, I knew what I was meant to do with my life. I knew it had to be something that would impact the African-American community in a positive way.”Kareem recounted in his book On The Shoulders of Giants.
This small interaction had a huge impact on the personality of Abdul-Jabbar, who realized its importance struggle for change against social and racial injustices. “I admired him for his courage to advocate for change through nonviolence, a stance rarely popular with people who have been denied equal opportunity for long periods of time.” measure the axle. “Yet he remained true to his convictions, in the face of prison, in the face of doubt within his organization, in the face of ridicule from other African Americans. And the wisdom of his leadership has been demonstrated by the success of the Civil Rights Movement.”
“Having that contact with him and realizing what he’s about helped motivate me.” Abdul-Jabbar said. “I put it all together at that moment. I understood what my community was.”
Since that press conference, Abdul-Jabbar’s activism has slowly grown as he has researched more, become more involved in the movement, or suffered from inequality in his flesh, as happened to him on July 18, 1964 when he had to escape from police charges in Harlem . which could have left him very badly. Having finished high school at his new university destination, UCLA, began a vigorous activity as an activist that ranked him as one of the most recognizable figures in North American sports as part of the Civil Rights Movement. At UCLA, Abdul-Jabbar was part of a wave of university activism that protested to demand equal treatment for African-American athletes and other black students.
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His relevance to the ever-complicated world of sports activism led him to take part in one of the most iconic moments in recent sports history in the United States. In 1967 the situation in the country was extremely turbulent, segregation was still very present in many areas, and recruitment for the Vietnam War was underway. One of the hundreds of people invited would be Mohammed Aliwhich he categorically refused for reasons of conscience, as a result of which it cost him the title of champion and his racing license.
Aiming to support Ali, in May 1967 Jim Brown organized an event at the Negro Industrial Economic Union, a black empowerment organization founded by the former Browns player, where the most visible faces of professional sports met: Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics, Walter Beach, Sid Williams, Jim Shorter and John Wooten of the NFL Browns, Bobby Mitchell of the Washington Football Team, Curtis McClinton of the Chiefs and Willie Davis of the Packers.
And of course, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
“At age 20 I was the youngest and least experienced member of what was called the Cleveland Summit”measure the pivot in SLAM. “Ali was only 25 years old and had to make the most important decision of his life. We strongly debated his sincerity and commitment (some of our team were ex-servicemen) but in the end we decided to support Ali. Unwavering integrity was a turning point for me.”
Ali’s influence on Kareem would eventually lead him to make the decision to not attend the 1968 Olympics and years later to convert to Islam, right after his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks. “Because of my talent on the basketball court, people tended to avoid getting me into any conflict if they could help it.” he told Sports Illustrated.
From that moment on The public’s perception of Abdul-Jabbar would change significantly, Since then, he has presented a sober and serious image, being blunt in his public statements and taking every opportunity to fight against racism and inequality.
“I know it came at a price. But to be able to have an identity that is in harmony with who I am, where I come from, and what my moral and political feelings are, that was the most important thing.”he said in 2017. “That’s one of the great things about living in America. We can all define ourselves and have the freedom to speak our minds and pursue the things that make us whole and make us feel useful.”
Kareem has always maintained his social commitment for many reasons, especially after his NBA career ended. His books, speeches and articles laid the groundwork for other athletes to feel supported. and confident enough to speak freely of any injustice. The example he set Abdul-Jabbar from the beginning of his sports career to this day is one of the most important parts of his legacy.even more than he could leave on a basketball court, more than the skyhook, more than his 38,387 points.
A figure to be respected for his determination to defend his cause following the words he learned from Luther King. “I was very accepting of being an activist because, as LeBron was told, I needed to focus on being quiet and playing. [shut up and dribble]”, he said in 2018. “That mind bullshit was directed at me when I had things to say. But LeBron spoke up and so did I, and people like us will continue to speak out.”
“Luther King’s legacy is about leadership and vision” narrated for CBS. “He was one of the first people I was able to interview, it’s something that marks your life, it has a profound effect. It allowed me to better understand what he did and how he did it. Dr. King was a leader. And what he represents in America is very deep because we’re still trying to get to the point of getting all the things that he envisioned.”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar burned stadiums so others behind him could slow down. To get to a point where NBA players can paralyze the competition to say enough, encourage voting in different communities and get more and more parts of society involved with what’s going on. A life dedicated to awareness, who used basketball as a platform to further spread his message. A pioneer in this regard in the NBA and who had the example of one of the most important figures of the 20th century.
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA or its organizations.
