Take a stance, Abdul-Jabbar urges graduating seniors

In early 1956, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stood beside his bombed residence in Montgomery, Alabama, and encouraged enraged supporters to recommit to nonviolence, calming them with the words that “if anything happens to me, there will be others to take my place.”

On Wednesday, basketball hall of famer, author, and social justice advocate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar expressed that he regards Harvard University and President Alan Garber among “the others ready to take Dr. King’s place.” He then inquired if the Class of 2025 could be counted upon.

“When an oppressive administration attempted to intimidate and coerce Harvard into relinquishing their academic freedom and undermining free speech, Dr. Alan Garber defied the unlawful and unethical pressures in a manner akin to how Rosa Parks resisted the entire weight of systemic racism in 1955,” said Abdul-Jabbar, speaking to graduates during the Class Day festivities at Tercentenary Theatre. “As I survey the assembly of eager faces poised to embark on their successful careers, I ponder how many of you will also step up to take Dr. King’s place.”

Abdul-Jabbar’s 20-minute address was the highlight of the two-hour Class Day event, which is organized by the graduating class. The occasion also featured a farewell speech from Danoff Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana, who is concluding his tenure after a decade of service.

Reflecting on his own experience as an undergraduate, which first took him to the State University of New York at Binghamton and then to Cornell University, Khurana recalled his time at Cornell as a pivotal moment — the instance when he ceased striving to be the individual others desired and instead began to explore his own identity, delving deeply into texts and starting to comprehend his values. It was during this time, he noted, that he recognized education was about more than just memorizing information and achieving high marks, but about the journey that allows one to appreciate life’s extended path.

In the next phase of your life, he stated, you will encounter choices regarding new roles and challenges, decisions between opportunities that can be transformative and those that are simply transactional.

“Regardless of where you venture next, the critical question isn’t merely where you plan to go, but who you aspire to become,” he expressed. “May your journey be a lengthy one, rich with adventure and discovery.”  

Abdul-Jabbar, who complemented his record-breaking two-decade NBA career with a successful writing career, received standing applause at the beginning and conclusion of his speech. He shared that his fervor for social justice and civil rights originated from the Cleveland Summit, an assembly organized by a group of Black athletes and activists to interview boxer Muhammad Ali following Ali’s refusal to partake in the Vietnam War draft. The objectives of the gathering were to ascertain whether Ali’s declaration of conscientious objection was genuine.

Ali convinced them of his sincerity, though not everyone was in agreement: He soon faced conviction for draft evasion, receiving a five-year prison sentence, a fine, and a three-year boxing ban. (The Supreme Court would later reverse the conviction in 1971.) This incident, paired with King’s assassination, left Abdul-Jabbar troubled, leading him to decline an invitation to the 1968 Olympics. Civil rights, he remarked, felt like “a waning aspiration.”

“I couldn’t bring myself to become a cheerful symbol of the United States’ promise to be a multiracial democracy when it was doing everything to undermine that promise,” Abdul-Jabbar stated.

Choosing justice, he indicated, typically involves risk. Sometimes that risk is financial; at other times, it is physical. Regardless, the stakes are always substantial.

“You must choose whether you want to be part of the old-time fire brigades passing buckets of water down a long line as they strive to extinguish a blaze or if you are satisfied to stand back and let it blaze,” Abdul-Jabbar expressed.

And a single victory isn’t sufficient, he said, urging graduates to dedicate themselves to a lifelong struggle.

“It is an endless contest that must be waged repeatedly,” Abdul Jabbar asserted. “After witnessing so many cowardly billionaires, media tycoons, legal firms, politicians, and other universities bow to an administration that is systematically ravaging the U.S. Constitution, it inspires me to observe Harvard University stand firm for freedom.”

Amidst remarks from Abdul-Jabbar, Khurana, and incoming HAA president Will Makris, Class Day also included a moment of silence in remembrance of two classmates: Luke Balstad, who passed away in November 2022, and Ryan Murdock, who succumbed to a brief illness in October. Byron Gonzalez and Talia Levitt received the Richard Glover Ames and Henry Russell Ames Awards, celebrating graduating seniors for their unsung contributions to the community.