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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reflects connected bequest
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a hoops fable with six NBA championships implicit his 20-year career. But the six-time MVP has bigger concerns than basketball.
Off the court, Abdul-Jabbar's spent his beingness advocating for societal justice.
"Freedom, justness and equality are for each of america – not conscionable for some. So we can't springiness up," Abdul-Jabbar told "CBS Mornings."
A passionateness for activism
In his caller book, "We All Want to Change the World," Abdul-Jabbar delves into decades of warring for radical equality successful the U.S. and explains however protestation movements shaped him. He describes however civilian rights icons and salient symbols of the civilian rights question – similar Rosa Parks, Emmett Till and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – ignited his passionateness for activism.
"When the power was thrown and the lightning coursed done me, it not lone fused each those parts successful 1 walking elephantine practice of Black history, but it besides energized maine to proceed the fight," Abdul-Jabbar work from his book.
He's been pushing for societal justness for the past six decades, starting during his collegiate years astatine UCLA portion starring the Bruins to 3 consecutive NCAA championships.
"I retrieve aft Dr. King was assassinated, I was demonstrating connected a field and, much than 1 idiosyncratic stopped to say, 'What are you demonstrating about? You're gonna beryllium playing successful the NBA, what's the issue?' I was conscionable appalled astatine his ignorance," Abdul-Jabbar recalled.
Abdul-Jabbar wasn't acrophobic astir immoderate consequences of utilizing his voice.
"Certain things needed to beryllium said, and I decided that I would accidental them," Abdul-Jabbar said.
Taking action
He followed up his words with actions.
In 1968, Abdul-Jabbar made headlines for boycotting the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. His determination was influenced by the Cleveland Summit, known arsenic the "Ali Summit," wherever helium and different salient Black athletes supported heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali's refusal to combat successful the Vietnam war. He was stripped of his heavyweight rubric and convicted of draught evasion, which was aboriginal overturned.
"Muhammad Ali was a person of mine, idiosyncratic I had a batch of respect for, for his courageousness and his endowment arsenic an athlete," Abdul-Jabbar said.
He saw what happened erstwhile Ali returned from Rome to his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, with an Olympic golden medal successful 1960. Instead of getting praise, helium was met with radical favoritism – and denied work astatine a segregated restaurant.
"He goes and represents the U.S. successful Rome and is outstanding, but helium can't bargain a sandwich. They said it wasn't thing idiosyncratic but helium couldn't get served," Abdul-Jabbar recalled.
That indignity inspired him to go an activist, pushing for adjacent opportunities. But it besides enactment a people connected his back. Abdul-Jabbar says he's been getting threatening messages – adjacent decease threats – since helium was 17 years old.
"It's similar I'm a lightning rod, astatine times," Abdul-Jabbar said.
These days, he's an outspoken professional of President Trump and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
"We're going to person a batch of enactment to bash whenever the federation comes to its senses. I'm definite of that," Abdul-Jabbar said.
Abdul-Jabbar's 20th book, "We All Want to Change the World," is connected merchantability now.
Natalie Morales is simply a CBS News analogous and "48 Hours" contributor based successful Los Angeles.
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