Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s activism spans over five decades and is just as legendary as his basketball career. The six-time NBA champion and the league’s all-time leading scorer until 2023, he was just as relentless off the court. Kareem’s activist journey ignited in 1967 when the 20-year-old basketball phenom joined Muhammad Ali at the Cleveland Summit. He stood there with other Black athletes to support Ali’s Vietnam War protest. Four years later, he made waves by converting to Islam and giving up his birth name. It was a powerful rejection of the identity associated with slavery. But, wait, there’s more to it than that.
Kareem’s activism extended far beyond just symbolic gestures. He established himself as an intellectual force and authored multiple books to promote democratic ideals. The Obama administration recognized his cultural impact and named him a global ambassador in 2012. The same year his Skyhook Foundation began delivering STEM opportunities to marginalized youth. Kareem even championed voting rights and police accountability. His cultural work continues to amplify neglected Black stories through film and media.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar published his latest book We All Want to Change the World: My Journey Through Social Justice Movements from the 1960s to Today on May 13, 2025. This book really turns back time. In Kareem’s words, “The book is a history of Americans “doing something about it” that I hope will inspire people today to reclaim the values expressed in our Constitution. America’s legacy is of a nation that protests against injustice and this book celebrates that legacy.” It’s basically a call to action, that operates through inspiring people with successful examples.
Kareem firmly believes that there’s n0 specific age or time to start working for the greater good. His answer to one particular question asked in an interview with the UCLA alum, reflected his ideologies well. He was asked “What advice would you give to younger generations who may feel overwhelmed or disillusioned about their ability to create change?”. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s answer was the most well-fitting one. He said “It always felt overwhelming — and it always will.” He didn’t shy away from accepting that even a legendary person like him, has always been overwhelmed by the responsibility, and yet he continues to fulfill it.
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 22: Author and former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar attends the Los Angeles Times Festival Of Books at USC on April 22, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keipher McKennie/FilmMagic)
Kareem continued “People who think their rights are safe are often unmotivated to help others be free, even though it is in their best interest.” With this line, Kareem pointed out that people often don’t take action unless they feel personally affected even when helping others ultimately helps everyone. The wisest words “the job of the activist is to show them why it is in their best interest.” He spoke a simple truth that reminds us that awareness, not blame, is the first step toward change.
After many words of wisdom, Kareem ended his answer with a powerful message. That helps the intimidated people to look at activism, not as a one-time victory, but as a continued effort. “We’re there to keep pushing that boulder up the hill, no matter how many times it rolls back down. Because if it rolls all the way down, it crushes everyone’s hopes.” It’s a reminder that progress takes persistence and every small push matters in preventing a complete setback. Just with one step at a time, everything that looks impossible is achievable.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s MLK Encounter at 17
In his 20th book, We All Want to Change the World (Crown, May 13, 2025), Kareem revisited his thrust into Martin Luther King Jr.’s press conference. It was his first big encounter as a 17-year-old Harlem journalism student in 1964. “I showed my press credentials to the burly men at the door and wandered in, afraid that at any minute, someone would grab me by the arm and drag me out, shouting, ‘Who’s this punk kid pretending to be a journalist?’”. He wrote, recalling how his towering frame made him feel like an “imposter” among “serious men in serious suits.”
Yet, that encounter left him with “a renewed allegiance to Dr. King’s optimism about humanity’s innate goodness”. But that faith shattered just weeks later when he fled the Harlem riots after the police killing of 15-year-old James Powell. “I’d never experienced a riot before, and I was terrified,” he admitted. “I did what I did best: I ran as fast as I could away from the danger… I didn’t know whether a bullet hitting me would come from a rioter or a cop.” That summer forced him to understand the limits of nonviolence, but it also reinforced his values to keep showing up.
Now 78, Kareem reflects on his lifetime of activism with humility. Despite his six NBA rings, bestselling books, and presidential accolades, he measures success not by outcomes but by effort. “Whether [this book] shifts history or doesn’t isn’t the question,” he wrote. “Rather, the question we all face is ‘Have I at least tried to make this country a better, more humane, more compassionate, freer place?’”. His answer to the rhetorical question “I think I have”. From that trembling teenager in Harlem, he became the elder statesman of athlete-activists. Kareem’s journey proves that real change is about persistent action.
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