In January of 1969, after a meeting to discuss the leadership of UCLA's new Afro-American Program, [Alprentice "Bunchy" Carter and John Huggins, Jr.] were murdered on campus by a rival black nationalist group, the United Slaves Organization. This shook up all the students, black and white, and made us all realize that what we were doing wasn't just an academic exercise, but had repercussions in the real world.
Kareem Abdul-JabbarWhen I was 17, I worked in a mentoring program in Harlem designed to improve the community. That's when I first gained an appreciation of the Harlem Renaissance, a time when African-Americans rose to prominence in American culture. For the first time, they were taken seriously as artists, musicians, writers, athletes, and as political thinkers.
Kareem Abdul-JabbarPeople still cheat on their wives, that hasn't fallen out of fashion. We all speak of it badly, but it has not fallen out of fashion.
Kareem Abdul-JabbarHe doesn't necessarily have to learn the sky hook. He just has to learn how to be an effective post player. I think I can help him do that.
Kareem Abdul-JabbarSome stuff can be fixed, some stuff canโt be. Deciding which is which is part of maturing.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar