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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar



Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor) is an American author, social justice advocate, and former professional basketball player who converted from Catholicism to Islam and changed his name while in his twenties. He is an outspoken advocate of racial equality, social justice, and interfaith understanding.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: My Very Muslim Christmas

On the one hand, Americans see themselves as the great international melting pot that welcomes huddled masses of all religions and ethnic backgrounds. On the other hand, they’re terrified that too much diversity mixed in the pot will dilute our white Christian majority.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2015
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12:28

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: “Becoming Kareem” on and off the Court | The Daily Show

NBA Hall of Famer and “Becoming Kareem” author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar compares Colin Kaepernick’s protest to his own travails as a socially engaged athlete.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2018
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Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court

The first memoir for young readers by sports legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At one time, Lew Alcindor was just another kid from New York City with all the usual problems: He struggled with fitting in, with pleasing a strict father, and with overcoming shyness that made him feel socially awkward.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Raymond Obstfeld
2025
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Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White

Bestselling author, basketball legend and cultural commentator Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explores the heart of issues that affect Americans today.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Raymond Obstfeld
2016
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07:02

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Black Sports Giants Who Broke Barriers

Basketball legend and longtime social justice advocate, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, sits down with AARP Studios to discuss breaking sports records and social barriers in an adapted version of the powerful and moving essay he wrote for AARP The Magazine.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2021
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Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII’s Forgotten Heroes

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar first became immersed in the history of the 761st Battalion through family friend Leonard “Smitty” Smith, a veteran of the unit.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anthony Walton
2025
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Continues His Fight for Racial Equality

Basketball legend lauds 'profound influence' of Black athletes when it comes to social justice.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2021
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09:03

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Opens Up about John Wooden

Record six-time MBA MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (B.A. ’69) learned from UCLA Coach John Wooden during—and after—their 50-year friendship how “to become a better person each day that I knew him.

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John Wooden
2017
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On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance

From 1920 to 1940, the Harlem Renaissance produced a bright beacon of light that paved the way for African-Americans all over the country. The unapologetic writings of W. E. B.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2010
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: How Martin Luther King Jr. Inspired His life of Activism and Social Justice

A story of how a future NBA Hall of Famer, at the young age of 17, was inspired by the opportunity to ask one of the most influential figures in world history a question.

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Sergio Rabinal
2021
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