Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an NBA legend, but the man known for his trademark skyhook shot has also devoted his life advocating for equality and social justice.
Abdul-Jabbar will take another step in his activism walk as an executive producer and narrator of the documentary “Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America,” which premieres Saturday on the History Channel. The one-hour documentary explores the history of protests that shaped the course for justice in America.
“Fight the Power” examines the labor movement of the 1880s, women’s suffrage and civil rights along with the LGBTQ+ and Black Lives Matter initiatives. It also features footage from Abdul-Jabbar’s personal experiences when he covered one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s news conferences at age 17 and attended the famous 1967 Cleveland Summit, where prominent Black athletes such as Bill Russell and Jim Brown discussed Muhammad Ali’s refusal to serve in the Vietnam War.
Abdul-Jabbar said co-executive producer Deborah Morales was adamant about the documentary needing to include all groups impacted by “bigotry and discrimination.” His pursuit toward social justice for marginalized people prompted the NBA to create an award bearing his name last month.
In a recent interview, Abdul-Jabbar spoke with The Associated Press about the importance of project, his unforgettable conversation with King, and how Emmett Till and James Baldwin were catalysts to his social justice journey.
Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: Why does the documentary focus on several different movements?
ABDUL-JABBAR: For me, it is trying to show that what Black Americans must deal with has been experienced by other marginalized groups. All of us at one time or another have been targeted by the dominant group. So, we must understand that all of us are in the same boat and we have to stick up for the rights of every marginalized group, not just the ones that we’re in that causes controversy, but to look at other issues.”
AP: When did you first realize people of color were treated unfairly in this country?
ABDUL-JABBAR: It started when I was 8 years old. That’s how old I was when Emmett Till was murdered. And I didn’t understand it. I asked my parents to explain it. They didn’t have the words. I was like “Where do I live? Why am I a target here?
AP: How did you find some clarity?
ABDUL-JABBAR: I was in the eighth grade. I was about 13 years old, and I read James Baldwin’s “The Fire Next Time.” That explained it all to me. It gave me an idea of what I had to do and what Black Americans had to do in order to get out from underneath all of this oppression.
AP: You are a champion on the basketball court and voice of inclusivity. Did you envision this path for yourself, even after your Hall of Fame hoops career?
ABDUL-JABBAR: I never really saw myself as a leader in all of it. I was someone who spoke out. I had enough nerve (and was) crazy enough to speak out about things. If we don’t talk about the issues, they don’t get dealt with. So, somebody has to go out there and speak. You remember all the controversy behind LeBron (James) saying, “Shut up and dribble is a lot of B.S.” You have to just get to that point where you can say that and have people understand what it means.
AP: Which personal experience highlighted in the doc stands out to you the most?
ABDUL-JABBAR: When I was 17 and I got to interview Dr. King. That was incredible. Just to exchange some words with him. But to understand what his message actually meant, I never really compared it side by side with what Malcolm X was talking about. When you do that, you find out actually that they had the two different approaches to the same end: freedom, justice and equality for all Americans. Equality, that’s what it should be about.
AP: What’s your biggest takeaway from the documentary?
ABDUL-JABBAR: It’s a series of steps forward, but there’s also some backsliding and a lot of attempts to move everything backwards. We had to deal with what people were really talking about, making America great again. It wasn’t about being great. It was about being ruled by a certain group of people. They thought that was great. But our country should be ruled by the American people. And all of us have a vote in. All of us have a voice. And we have to use our voices and our votes in a righteous way.
AP: Are there other topics you would like to explore in the future?
ABDUL-JABBAR: I’m hoping I can do a more documentary style piece on the Underground Railroad. There’s a dramatic piece on right now that’s very well done. But we should get into the details and let America understand what it was all about, because it's an interesting story.
AP: What would be your angle?
ABDUL-JABBAR: Some of the people involved that you would never, ever be considered to be heroes of the Underground Railroad. For example, what do you know about Wild Bill Hickok? When he was a teenager, he and his father and uncle help escaping slaves get to Canada. He lived in central Illinois and the escaping slaves would go from the Mississippi River up to Chicago and southern Wisconsin, get on a boat, go across Lake Michigan. When they got to Canada, they were free. There’s a whole lot of stories like that.
The Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell romantic comedy “Anyone But You” hitting Netflix and an album by Brazil superstar Anitta are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Everyone’s favorite dancing demon doll “M3GAN” comes back to Peacock, a beautiful woman battles hideous beasts in Sony's video game Stellar Blade, and a documentary detailing Bon Jovi's early days, rise to fame and breakups and breakdowns.
— The Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell romantic comedy “Anyone But You” is finally on Netflix starting Tuesday. The movie is about two young singles whose magical one-night stand ends in miscommunication and hurt feelings, and then find themselves both in a small family wedding party and staying in the same house. It’s loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” Reviews were mixed and the box office started out tame, but it became a slow burn sleeper hit in theaters, earning more than $218 million worldwide. If you’ve been holding out to see what the fuss was about, now is your low stakes chance (it’s also not a bad plane option, which is where this film critic finally watched it). And afterwards, if you need a rom-com palate cleanser, “You’ve Got Mail” is also currently on Netflix.
— Another stealth box office hit, everyone’s favorite dancing demon doll “M3GAN” is coming back to Peacock starting Wednesday. Is it great cinema? Probably not, but everyone who watches it seems to have a fun time (in spite of themselves). Entertainment Weekly’s Leah Greenblatt wrote in her review that, “This is not the morose, carnage-soaked horror of dank basements and clammy night terrors; most of the movie happens in bright daylight, every maniacal head tilt, ungodly hip swivel, and murder-by-gardening-tool calibrated for screams that end not with a gasp but a giggle. M3GAN came to play, and possibly reboot her motherboard for a sequel. Are you not entertained?”
— Finally, if you’ve exhausted all your “Tortured Poets” analysis, you can pivot to watching a Joe Alwyn movie instead. He stars in Claire Denis’ 2022 romantic thriller “Stars at Noon,” which comes to Hulu on Sunday. Based on the 1986 Denis Johnson novel, Margaret Qualley plans an American journalist in Nicaragua during COVID-19 who starts an affair with a mysterious British guy, played by Alwyn.
— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr
— Shot through the heart, and they’re to blame: Forty years after a bunch of kids from New Jersey got together and formed a great American rock band, a documentary detailing their early days, rise to fame, and best of all — breakups and breakdowns — has arrived. The only Bon Jovi documentary series to feature all members past and present, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” premieres on Hulu Friday in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories. Binge all four-parts one after the other or dole them out slowly. However you do it, expect to have “Livin’ On A Prayer” stuck in your head for the next week.
— Anitta, arguably Brazil’s most recognizable global pop singer since Astrud Gilberto sang “The Girl From Ipanema” nearly 60 years ago, is preparing to release a new album Friday. It’s titled “Funk Generation,” her first since the 2022’s “Versions of Me,” and its viral hits “Envolver” and “Girl From Rio” (with its interpolation of the Gilberto classic) made her an international star. She’s long aimed to bring Brazilian sounds to the worldwide music market, and focusing on Brazilian funk is an extension of that desire. “’Funk Generation’ is an album where I celebrate my roots. It’s where I express the power of Rio’s funk in every track its unique, danceable, and sensual beats,” she said in a statement. “It’s a rhythm born in the favelas, where I grew up, and it exudes resistance and art in every community.”
— It is time to give Midwest MCs their flowers: Fresh off a tour opening for Migos rapper Offset, Detroit’s Skilla Baby is preparing to drop a new project on Friday, “The Coldest.” If his trap earworm “Bae,” with its celebratory, ladies-first lyrics (“Bae, you know you’re fine, don’t you?” in the chorus) and the community-focused “Plate” are a taste of what’s to come, the release is going to be delicious.
— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
— “The Big Door Prize,” a sweet, silly dramedy about the residents of a small town turned upside down by the arrival of a machine that reveals a person’s true calling, returns for a second season on Apple TV+. Starring Chris O’Dowd as a local high school teacher, “The Big Door Prize” is based on a book by M.O. Walsh and was one of The Associated Press’ TV shows worth watching in 2023. Season two of “The Big Door Prize” debuted Wednesday. Season one is also still available on the streamer.
— Two teen ghost detectives who appear in DC comic books star in their own series called “Dead Boy Detectives.” The story follows Edwin and Charles, two long-dead teens who spend their afterlife still on Earth and investigating paranormal cases. They’re assisted by a living teen named Crystal Palace who is a clairvoyant. “Dead Boy Detectives” also features Lukas Gage in an over-the-top, comedic role of the Cat King. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” actor David Iacono plays a demon. The ghostly investigations are available now on Netflix.
— Idris Elba and Adam Pally reprise their “Sonic the Hedgehog” characters for the new animated series “Knuckles” on Paramount+. Elba plays Knuckles, an Echidna with super strength, who is adjusting after moving to Earth at the end of “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.” Pally is Wade Whipple, a not-so-bright deputy sheriff. “Knuckles” is part of Paramount’s efforts to expand the popular “Sonic” brand. Ben Schwartz and Tika Sumpter also reprise roles from the films. All six-episodes of “Knuckles” stream Friday.
— Alicia Rancilio
— Sony’s Stellar Blade takes place on an Earth that’s been mostly abandoned after an invasion by hordes of mysterious monsters called the Naytiba. Enter Eve, a sword- and gun-wielding warrior who has returned to her home planet to help out the few people left, including a scavenger named Adam. The Biblical references pile up — for example, the last city standing is Xion — but the real influence is the popular hack-and-slash epic Bayonetta. If you’ve been craving another flamboyant adventure with a beautiful woman battling hideous beasts, Korean studio Shift Up hopes it’s got you covered. Start swinging Friday on PlayStation 5.
— Electronic Arts’ Tales of Kenzera: Zau is less campy and more down to earth. Its protagonist, Zau, aims to become a healer and, maybe, bring his father back from the Land of the Dead. The aspiring shaman has some nifty parkour skills as well as sun and moon masks, which allow him to, respectively, launch spears and manipulate time as he fights evil spirits. Tales of Kenzera is the debut title from Surgent Studios, which was founded by voice actor Abubakar Salim, and he says it was inspired by Bantu folklore as well as his own experience with grief. The journey began Tuesday on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.
— Lou Kesten
Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/entertainment.
This combination of images shows album cover art for "Funk Generation" by Anitta, and promotional art for the Hulu series "Thank You, Goodnight" (Republic Records/Hulu via AP)
This combination of images shows promotional art for the Paramount+ series "Knuckles," the Apple TV+ series "The Big Door Prize," and the Netflix series "Dead Boy Detectives. (Paramount+/Apple TV+/Netflix via AP)
