Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's "Beyond Black and White" When my friend Josh asked me if I wanted to go to a speech that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was giving I was definitely excited. I am a huge fan of basketball and what Kareem was able to accomplish in his storied career. Beyond the aspect of being a fan, I did not really know what to expect. I was curious to hear how he would connect his career as a basketball player to racial issues in today's society.
Upon completion, I can honestly say that I was captivated by his speech. Kareem opened his speech by talking about his childhood and how he was brought up by his parents. He stated that his father was an intelligent man, who taught Kareem how to enjoy the pursuit of knowledge. Kareem first became interested in getting involved with social issues while watching the coverage of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. He became inspired to act. Kareem had the goal of making sure all African Americans receive fair treatment and equal opportunities. He came to the realization that he can use his prestige as an athlete to emphasize the need for rapid change. Among other things, Kareem stressed the importance of a suitable education in today's world. If Kareem had been seriously injured while playing basketball, he would have had nothing to fall back on if he didn't work hard to earn a scholarship to university.
Being an athlete myself, I deeply connected with the statement Kareem made about not being able to play sports for the rest of your life. Hockey was a huge part of my life. I received a scholarship to play hockey for a prep school in Detroit and I even played on ...
