On the Shoulders of Giants

the long version

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, the fervent fiction and poetry, the groundbreaking art, and the triumphant music gave voice and expression to the thoughts and emotions that Jim Crow segregation laws had long sought to stifle. Here, basketball star and author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar invites the reader on a 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.--From publisher description.