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Loading... On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissanceby Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. We've kown for a long time that there's more to Kareem than skyhooks. In On the Shoulders of Giants, he shares his passion for history. He describes the Harlem Renaissance from several points of view: the social history that led up to it, the significant thinkers who contributed to it, the black basketball teams that originated there, and finally the jazz music that flourished in Harlem. He ties up each section with a couple of pages about how that facet affected his life. Not superficial but not terribly deep either, the book gives overviews of key topics and fascinating descriptions of key individuals, and it can serve as a guide for further investigation for the reader who is so inclined. I enjoyed it quite a bit. no reviews | add a review
From 1920 to 1940, the Harlem Renaissance produced a bright beacon of light that paved the way for African Americans all over the country. The unapologetic writings of W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey, the fervent fiction and poetry of Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, the groundbreaking art of Aaron Douglas and William H. Johnson, and the triumphant music of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong gave voice and expression to the thoughts and emotions that Jim Crow segregation laws had long sought to stifle.In On the Shoulders of Giants, indomitable basketball star and bestselling author and historian Kareem Abdul-Jabbar invites readers on an extraordinarily personal journey back to his birthplace, through one of the greatest political, cultural, literary, and artistic movements in our history, revealing the tremendous impact the Harlem Renaissance had on both American culture and his own life. Beginning with the rise of the Harlem Rens as pioneers of professional basketball, Kareem traces the many streams of historical influence that converged to create the man he is today-the NBA's all-time leading scorer and a veritable African American icon.Travel deep into the soul of the Renaissance-to the night clubs, restaurants, basketball games, and fabulous parties that have made footprints in Harlem's history. Meet the athletes, jazz musicians, comedians, actors, politicians, entrepreneurs, and writers who not only inspired Kareem's rise to greatness but an entire nation's.Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born in the midst of a cultural reawakening, carried on the shoulders of athletes trying to prove there was a lot more at stake than a ball game, men and women who made music that could break your heart, and writers and intellectuals who gave voice to not just the ideals of a movement but the raw emotions. Kareem tells what it took to get these revolutionaries to Harlem and how they changed the world. A world that is still riding on the shoulders of giants. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)796.323092The arts Recreational and performing arts Athletic and outdoor sports and games Ball sports Ball and net sports Basketball Biography And History BiographyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. Tantor MediaAn edition of this book was published by Tantor Media. Recorded Books4 editions of this book were published by Recorded Books. Editions: 1456108964, 1456109022, 1456108980, 1456108972 |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar combines history and personal narratives to produce an enriched account of the Harlem Renaissance and how it impacted his personal beliefs, ideologies, and life. Kareem explores three major sections of the Harlem Renaissance: the literary achievements of black legends, basketball, and the roots of jazz. I'm no history expert, but I sure as hell learned a lot more about black culture and history then I ever did in my textbooks or college course in African American History. Sometimes it can be challenging to make historical events exciting, but with all the rich material from this era, Kareem has no problem bringing it to life and showing how it impacted his early years.
A fascinating and eye opening read. A must read for fans of history, civil rights, basketball, jazz, etc. There is something in it for everyone! ( )