Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Writings On The Wall

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Historically and currently, unwillingness to reflect on personal experiences has created a barrier both towards understanding the issues faced by marginalized communities and the construction of potential solutions. In Writings on the Wall, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar describes the process of self-reflection as “filter[ing] that information through the insights gained from reflecting on personal experiences” (7). Generally, this takes two major forms; out-group and in-group understanding of an issue. If an individual is a member of a group facing systematic discrimination, critically analyzing the ways in which their lives have been impacted by their status can allow for a greater understanding of the discrimination and offer insight into potential improvements. On the other hand, a person who has not experienced the lived reality as a member of the community in question can gain an understanding of the advantages they have experienced and work to improve others’ circumstances. …show more content…

Abdul-Jabbar discusses the intersection of race, anti-Muslim sentiment, and celebrity during his conversion to Islam in the 1970s, saying that For most people, converting from one religion to another is a private matter requiring intense scrutiny of one’s conscience. But when you’re famous, it becomes a public spectacle for one and all to openly debate. And when you convert to an unfamiliar or unpopular religion, it invites aggressive scrutiny, not just of one’s conscience but one’s intelligence, patriotism, and sanity. I should know. Even though I became a Muslim more than 40 years ago, I’m still defending that choice

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