Justice should be blind especially color-blind and able to fairly deal with the very real need for honest law enforcement.
When 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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reflects on the importance of cultural appreciation and the impact of the Harlem Renaissance on African-American identity.
In this quote, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shares his experience of working in a mentoring program during his teenage years, highlighting how this experience sparked his appreciation for the Harlem Renaissance—a pivotal era in which African-Americans made significant contributions to American culture across various fields. He acknowledges the importance of recognizing and valuing the achievements of African-American artists, thinkers, and leaders, emphasizing the influence of this cultural movement on society and the need for continued appreciation of diversity in the arts and beyond.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at a cultural event to inspire young artists.
More from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
All quotes →I've had enough success for two lifetimes, My success is talent put together with hard work and luck.
Music rhythms are mathematical patterns. When you hear a song and your body starts moving with it, your body is doing math. The kids in their parents' garage practicing to be a band may not realize it, but they're also practicing math.
In a typical history book, black Americans are mentioned in the context of slavery or civil rights. There's so much more to the story.
I'm not comfortable being preachy, but more people need to start spending as much time in the library as they do on the basketball court.
Five guys on the court working together can achieve more than five talented individuals who come and go as individuals.
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An intelligent person, looking out of his eyes and hearkening in his ears, with a smile on his face all the time, will get more true education than many another in a life of heroic vigils".
There is no education like adversity.
There are two ways of dealing with nonsense in this world. One way is to put nonsense in the right place; as when people put nonsense into nursery rhymes. The other is to put nonsense in the wrong place; as when they put it into educational addresses, psychological criticisms, and complaints against nursery rhymes or other normal amusements of mankind.