by Dot Cannon
“I was a pretty good student,” said former NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The seventh annual California STEAM Symposium was in progress, Monday morning at the Anaheim Convention Center.
In the day’s first session, California State Superintendent of Education Tony Thurmond was conducting a Fireside Chat with the legendary former basketball player.
And one of his first questions was about Kareem’s own school days.
“I did really well in my writing assignments when I was in grade school,” the NBA luminary replied.
“The nuns kind of thought I had at least an interest, and maybe some talent.”
The audience laughed Kareem is a journalist, screenwriter and New York Times bestselling author.
Emphasis on the future
During the interview, he would give Superintendent Thurmond–and the audience–insights on his background as a STEAM education advocate.
“Going to UCLA, I had the wonderful opportunity to play for Coach (John) Wooden,” Kareem said. “And Coach Wooden…emphasized academics over athletics.
“And…getting my degree, and seeing the difference between my life, and people who go to college just to play football (and other sports). When they’re done with college, their lives aren’t that good.”
Since his retirement from the NBA in 1989, Kareem has been a political activist and education advocate, working to improve the lives of the next generation.
Superintendent Thurmond talked with him about his nonprofit, the Skyhook Foundation.
“A shot that can’t be blocked”
“(Education gives) kids a shot that can’t be blocked,” Kareem said, explaining that the Skyhook Foundation focuses on srerving underprivileged neighborhoods.
“We get the kids up into the Angeles National Forest, and give them four nights and five days of hands-on experiences.
“They observe the night sky, they do water-quality testing, they observe the flora and fauna. And we also have people come and talk to them about their different jobs, that are influenced by science, technology, engineering and math.
“So that the kids get an idea that, ‘yeah, I can do that, because a lot of these people look just like me.'”
For a lot of the kids, Kareem said, this completely new experience opened doors.
“These are kids that have never been to…Angeles National Forest, but all of a sudden, they see themselves doing things they never thought of before.”
And accessibility, he said, was key.
“Everything we can do to provide more access…That’s something that we have to be conscious of, as a community. to (increase access for kids limited by lack of funds).”
Spotlighting innovation
In the course of the interview, Superintendent Thurmond and Kareem covered several areas that may not have occurred to the young students.
One of those areas: African-American inventors. Kareem is the author of “What Color Is My World: the Lost History of African-American Inventors”.
“Too many minority kids don’t have an idea that this is their nation,” he explained. “That their people have contributed anything to what makes America great. So I just got out my pen and my pad, (and started writing about) black American inventors that people are not aware of. that invented so many things that we all enjoy. Like potato chips.
“The personal computer. The blood bank. …That also was a black American doctor that…discovered blood typing.
That’s what my book was about, and hopefully it makes a lot of black kids proud to be American and (realize they have a lot to contribute) to this great nation that we live in.”
In the future
“I think that STEAM has a natural connection to everything,” Kareem said, a few minutes later in the interview.
“The fact that you can get kids to focus their education on being more analytical, means that we have more logical thinkers that will make good choices. I think that’s a primary focus of what STEAM should be about.”
He offered wisdom for future sports stars: “To pay their taxes. You have this great opportunity to make this wonderful money, you better know what you’re doing with that money. You don’t need a ten-pound gold chain around your neck, to show everybody how successful you are. That’s not how to do it.”
And Kareem said his message to all young people is “simple”: “Knowledge is power”.
Concluding the interview, Superintendent Thurmond said, “How about I ask you a question, and then I answer it.
“Is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the greatest of all time? I think the answer is YES!”
And the audience applauded its assent.
This is Part Two of a three-part series. Here’s the link to Part Three.
Day Two of the seventh annual California STEAM Symposium begins Tuesday, December 10th at 7:00 am in Anaheim Convention Center North.
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