Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Flies to Oakland for Massive Launch Inspired by Muhammad Ali & More

Long before he became the icon of the sport, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar always wanted to fight for the right. The Lakers legend even posted a throwback photo of the meeting on his Instagram page for Martin Luther King Day. At the time, he was pursuing a journalism program, but his focus was ” not passing out” as his smiling hero directed his answer to him. Decades later, and after publishing 20 books, the activism still continues thanks to his heroes.

It was for his latest book, ‘We All Want to Change the World: My Journey Through Social Justice Movements from the 1960s to Today,’ that he flew to Oakland to promote it. In this, he details his personal journey of standing up for what’s right. At the Calvin Simmons Theater, the NBA icon urged everybody to take knowledge from the seniors because they are “not just around to take naps“. The one-time Time magazine columnist also used the CBS Mornings platform to express more about his ideologies.

During that interview, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar describes how civil rights icons and events—Rosa Parks, Emmett Till, Dr. King, the Harlem race riots—ignited his passion for activism. Another instance of him taking a strong stance was when he boycotted the 1968 Olympics, a decision influenced by the Ali Summit. It was not only he but other prominent black athletes who supported Muhammad Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War.

“He goes and represents the U.S. in Rome and is outstanding, but he can’t buy a sandwich. They said it wasn’t anything personal, but he couldn’t get served.” Ali was a friend of the Lakers’ legend, which is why this indignity inspired Abdul-Jabbar to become an activist, pushing for equal opportunities. Despite having such a stature, the 6x NBA champion is not afraid to speak his mind or tell his story through his books.

“My years as a basketball player defined me, but my years as a writer refined me.” One such line in his latest book truly explains that the cause was and always will be close to his heart.

Despite personal trouble, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made sure to impart his message

As the Showtime Era captain stated multiple times, the fight against racial injustice isn’t new to him. Once, he even shared that when he was protesting on Bruinwalk as a student, people told him he had nothing to protest about because he was joining the NBA. A narrative he doesn’t agree with, and with his stance, continues to prove why voicing out opinions matters.

Another instance was when he honored Jackie Robinson last month. As the MLB observed Robinson Day as the icon broke baseball’s color line in 1947. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar arrived at the Dodger Stadium in a wheelchair, but his words were profound. “Jack always had the idea that he was an equal human being to everybody else. I’m very proud of being able to emulate Jackie in the right way. You can do things the wrong way, but Jackie showed us how to do it the right way, and I’m very thankful for that.”

The 78-year-old did not pay heed to his condition and delivered an empowering speech. Even on his birthday, he turned the attention to raising a voice for equality. So, if one thing that the Lakers legend wants everybody to remember is that “we’ve got work to do”. A message he keeps on delivering right from his teenage years of meeting Martin Luther King to Muhammad Ali.

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