The Penny on the Floor

Today In History

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hall of fame basketball icon and civil rights activist was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. in New York City on this date April 16, 1947.

Jabbar was a star player for UCLA and became the NBA’s lifetime leading scorer. He also led the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA titles.

An activist throughout his playing career, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tackled many issues, from promoting cultural heritage as a high school star from Harlem to refusing to participate in the 1968 Summer Olympics because he didn’t “feel very patriotic” after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Abdul-Jabbar pursued interests in acting and writing. He appeared appeared in several films, including the 1979 martial-arts film Game of Death and the 1980 comedy Airplane! He wrote books and produced documentaries surrounding the game, social justice and his life.

" The Gatekeeper Patrolling " //© Jen City