Carmelo Anthony named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion | NBA.com
The NBA announced Tuesday that 10-time NBA All-Star, entrepreneur
and philanthropist Carmelo Anthony of the Portland Trail Blazers has
been named the inaugural
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion. Anthony was selected from a
group of five finalists for his dedication over the past year to pursuing social
justice and advancing
Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality
for individuals and groups
who have been historically marginalized or systemically disadvantaged.
Anthony, whose efforts to effect change span nearly two decades,
further intensified his commitment
to social justice this past year. In July 2020, he partnered with 11-time
NBA All-Star Chris Paul of the
Phoenix Suns and NBA legend Dwyane Wade to create
the Social Change Fund,
which aims to address social and economic justice issues
facing Black communities and break down the discriminatory
barriers to success.
Through the fund, Anthony is focused on critical issues including
championing criminal justice reform
and inclusion, advocating for the human rights of all
Black lives, expanding access to voting and civic
engagement, increasing Black representation in
government, and building economic equity in
communities of color through investment in
education, employment, wages, and housing.
Last summer, he also served as guest
editor-in-chief for SLAM magazine’s special
Social Justice issue that featured the game’s
most influential activists, including Abdul-Jabbar,
Bill Russell and Sheryl Swoopes.
All proceeds were donated through the Social Change Fund
to support organizations
working on critical issues impacting the Black community.
Inside The NBA: Kareem and Carmelo
Carmelo Anthony is named the inaugural winner of the
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion
Award.
Beyond the fund, Anthony has highlighted other important
causes over the course of the year.
In March, he partnered with 94-year-old activist
Ms. Opal Lee to raise awareness of Juneteenth
and advocate for the day to become a national holiday,
which was ultimately signed into law this
month through the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
He was also the featured voice in a
powerful campaign with the Vera Institute of Justice to
promote criminal justice reform.
Most recently, Anthony announced global, multi-platform content
company Creative 7 Productions,
which he co-founded to champion inclusive, purpose-driven
storytelling from diverse voices.
Within the NBA community, Anthony’s mentorship of young players
and consistent engagement
across the league have inspired organizations and teammates to
deepen their efforts to advance change.
He was instrumental in the launch of the Trail Blazers Racial
Injustice Initiative,
a multi-layered program that has provided more than
$200,000 in funding to organizations fighting
systemic
racism.
Anthony also currently serves as one of the players on the board
of the National Basketball Social Justice
Coalition.
Anthony continues to focus on social reform through the
Carmelo Anthony Foundation, which
he founded over 15 years ago as a vehicle for actionable
change and social reform through a variety of
outreach programs, disaster relief initiatives, and donations.
His forthcoming memoir,Where Tomorrows Aren’t Promised,
will give a never before seen look
into Anthony’s upbringing and draws attention to the social,
health and economic inequities in
communities of color. The book will be released on September
14th, 2021.
Anthony has selected the Portland Art Museum’s Black Arts and
Experiences Initiative
to receive a $100,000 contribution on his behalf.
The winner of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice
Champion award was determined by a
selection committee composed of Abdul-Jabbar, notable
social justice leaders,
including Director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics
in Sport Dr. Richard Lapchick,
student activist Teyonna Lofton, National Urban League
President and CEO Marc Morial,
UnidosUS President and
CEO Janet Murguía, Rise Founder and CEO Amanda Nguyen,
and NBA Deputy Commissioner and
Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum. The four other finalists for the
award were Sacramento Kings
forward Harrison Barnes, Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris,
Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue
Holiday and Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson.
On May 3, Carmelo Anthony climbed to 10th place on the
NBA’s all-time scoring list –
joining an elite group with some of the greatest players to ever
play the game of basketball,
led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose 38,387 career points remains the
benchmark three decades
removed from his retirement.
But the connection between Kareem and Carmelo goes well
beyond the buckets they can
put up on the court. Both men have been leaders off the court in the
fight for social justice
and racial equality and both have used their platforms to bring
change to their local communities and on a national platform.
On Tuesday, Anthony was named the recipient of the inaugural
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social
Justice Champion Award, which recognizes a current NBA player for
pursuing social justice
and advancing Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive
equality for
individuals and groups who have been historically marginalized or
systemically disadvantaged.
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