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 the listener 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.

A personal account by the basketball star traces his childhood in Harlem and the influence of the Harlem Renaissance on black culture in the United States, featuring interviews with Magic Johnson, Quincy Jones, Spike Lee, and Denzel Washington.

A personal account by the basketball star traces his childhood in Harlem and the influence of the Harlem Renaissance on black culture in the United States, featuring interviews with Magic Johnson, Quincy Jones, Spike Lee, and Denzel Washington.

Presents the story of the first all-African American tank battalion to see combat in World War II, documenting how its members struggled with racial discrimination in spite of their emergence as a highly decorated unit.

Presents the story of the first all-African American tank battalion to see combat in World War II, documenting how its members struggled with racial discrimination in spite of their emergence as a highly decorated unit.

Presents the story of the first all-African American tank battalion to see combat in World War II, documenting how its members struggled with racial discrimination in spite of their emergence as a highly decorated unit.

Recounts inspirational stories of influential African Americans, including Crispus Attucks, Frederick Douglass, and Rosa Parks.

Recounts inspirational stories of influential African Americans, including Crispus Attucks, Frederick Douglass, and Rosa Parks.

The basketball legend shares his adventures coaching a team of White Mountain Apache kids in the basics of the game, learning a good deal along the way about his own love of the game.

The basketball legend shares his adventures coaching a team of White Mountain Apache kids in the basics of the game, and life, learning a good deal along the way about his own love of the game. Original.

Selections from the renowned basketball player's autobiography where he shares his professional and private life and discusses his struggle to achieve a balance between the demands of being a celebrity and his own needs.

Product Description: Facts, team statistics, individual coach and player records, top crowd attendances, the Olympians, and the 100 greatest games in UCLA basketball history -- it's all included inThe Bruin 100. But most importantly, relive the traditions and read the stories that can't be told in the record books...read more

The pro-basketball star recalls the highs and lows of his record-breaking career as center for the Los Angeles Lakers

Selections from the renowned basketball player's autobiography where he shares his professional and private life and discusses his struggle to achieve a balance between the demands of being a celebrity and his own needs.

The renowned basketball player shares his professional and private life and discusses his struggle to achieve a balance between the demands of being a celebrity and his own needs