PostEverything

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: How

boycotts could help sway
Trump
We all have a responsibility to stand up for our values.
By Kareem Abdul-Jabbar December 1

Follow@kaj33

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, is a former cultural ambassador for the United States
and the author, most recently, of "Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and
White."
TheelectionofDonaldTrumpaspresidentoftheUnitedStateshasgivensomeAmericansnewhope.Notjustaltright
racistswhoareopenlyshoutingHailTrumpwhilestillfindingtimetorackupincreasingnumbersofhatecrimes,butalso
celebritywannabeswhorealizethatAmericanolongerdemandsanysignificantstandardofqualificationstorunexcepta
goodPRrep.CelebsreportedlyeyeingapresidentialrunincludeababblingKanyeWestandtheubercharmingDwayne
TheRockJohnson,PeoplesSexiestManoftheYear.
ThatsonlyoneofthereasonsthattheGiveTrumpachancephilosophyisabadone.Weneedtostartactivelyre
establishingwhatourvaluesarebeforetheyareslowlyeroded,onebadchoiceatatime.Byactively,Imeanthatweneed
tocommittoanaggressiveplanofpeacefulactionsaspartofanewcivildisobedience.Andbywe,Imeaneverysupporter
oftheconstitutionalguaranteesofequality,especiallypeopleofcolor,women,immigrants,Muslims,Jews,theLGBT
communityandanyoneelsewhohasbeenmarginalizedbythiselection.
Manyleadersarecallingforahidebeneaththebedtactic.Ithinkthepresidenthastherighttochoosehisownpeople,
andweshouldtakealookandseeapproach,saidJackRosen,presidentoftheAmericanJewishCongress.Black
EntertainmentTelevisionfounderandHillaryClintonsupporterBobJohnsonadvisedAfricanAmericanstogiveTrump
thebenefitofthedoubt.
Inthethreeweekssincetheelection,however,wehavetakenalook,andwehaveseenthatourdarkestdoubtswere
justified.Hehasalreadyproventobeexactlytheunqualified,uninformed,illtempered,thinskinnedamateurthatweall
feared.Seriousquestionshavealreadyarisenabouthisforeignbusinessinterests,hissettlementoftheTrumpUniversity
lawsuit(despitehisproclamationthatheneversettles),hisconsiderationofabanonMuslimimmigrants,hiswalkingback
oncampaignpromises,hisblindtrustissuesandhisinvolvementofhischildreninsensitivenationalinterests.Most
alarmingishisselectionofadvisers.Farfromthebestandbrightesthepromised,somefaceseriousaccusationsofracism.
Ifwedontapplythetourniquetnow,ourcountrysconstitutionalvaluesmaybleedoutbeforethenextelection.

ThelistofTrumpstravestiessincetheelectionistoolongtodetailhere.SoIllfocusontheselectionofseveralofhis
advisers,includingCabinetmembers,sincethatstheclearestindicationofwhereheintendstosteertheshipofstateand
whywemusttakeactionbeforeherunsusaground.FormerPennsylvaniarepresentativeBobWalker,Trumpsspacepolicy
adviser,hassuggestedthatclimateresearchisheavilypoliticizedandthereforethatNASAstopconductingpolitically
correctenvironmentalreporting.TheTrumpadministrationplanstodismantleeffortstocombathumancausedclimate
changedespitescientificconsensusonthequestion.Climatechangehasalreadyhadaseriousimpact,whichexpertswarn
willonlygetworse.Ignoringitmightbenefitsomebusinessesintheshortrun,butinthelongrunwillbedisastrousforour
country.
Trumpseemstohaveapenchantforbillionairesasadvisers.HischoiceofbillionaireBetsyDeVosaseducationsecretary
heraldsafutureweakeningofequalopportunityeducationforall.LikeTrump,sheinheritedwealthwhichdoesnot
disqualifyheropinions,butitdoessuggestalackofexperienceinunderstandinghowmostpeopleaffectedbythepolicies
shesetslive.Hermaincauseispromotingvouchersthatgivepeopletaxmoneytopayprivateschooltuition,whichshehas
beenchampioningnationwideforyears.Vouchers,whichtheNationalEducationAssociationopposes,takemoneyaway
frompubliceducationtopromotereligiousschools,whichmakeupnearly80percentofprivateschools.Thatsaclear
violationoftheConstitutionsseparationofchurchandstate.Butmuchworse,voucherslessenthequalityofeducationfor
thepoor,bysendingmorestudentstoprivateschoolsthatchoosetheirowncurriculumwithlittleoversight.Theideal
outcomeforsomeconservativesistoteachchildrentheirskewedvisionofhistory,onethatcelebrateswhitemale
achievementaswevealreadyseenintheinaccuratetextbookschampionedbyTexas.
TrumpisexpectedtochoosebillionaireinvestorWilburthekingofbankruptcyRossashiscommercesecretary.Healso
announcedateamof13mostlymillionairesandbillionairestoformthecoreofhiseconomicadvisers.Whatsstartling
andtellingtooutsideexpertsisthattheadvisersareallmen,thereisonlyoneacademiceconomist,andthatthesepeople
representtheveryWallStreetinsidersthatTrumprailedagainstduringhiscampaign.Onehastheunnervingimageofmen
inimmaculatelytailoredsuitssippingmartinisfromapenthousesuitewhilewatchingtheworkadaypeoplefarbelow
scurryingtotheirjobslikeants.
Finally,themosttoxicandsymptomaticadvisers,StephenK.BannonandSen.JeffSessions(RAla.).SessionsisTrumps
pickforU.S.attorneygeneral,eventhoughhisnominationtothefederalbenchwastorpedoed30yearsagoover
accusationsofracism.Hesalsobeenaccusedofretaliatingagainsttwoblackofficialswhomhebelievedinterferedwiththat
nomination.Thosetwomenaccusedhimofreferringtooneofthemasthenword,whileSessionssblackdeputyinthe
U.S.attorneysofficesaidSessionscalledhimboy,andwarnedhimtobecarefulhowhespoketowhitepeople.Hewas
alsoaccusedduringthose1986SenatehearingsofcallingtheNationalAssociationfortheAdvancementofColoredPeople
unAmerican.
Racismgetsthecompanionshipofmisogyny,homophobiaandxenophobiawiththeselectionofBannonasTrumpschief
politicalstrategistintheWhiteHouse.ThisisthemanwhomfellowconservativeGlennBeckreferredtoasanightmare
andwhohasbeencomparedtoJosephGoebbels,Hitlerschiefpropagandist.Bannonsnewssite,Breitbart.com,runs
slantedreportingandprovocativeheadlinesthatkeepthedreamofwhitemalesupremacyalive.Arecentheadline
proclaimed,BirthControlMakesWomenUnattractiveandCrazy,andanother,TheresNoHiringBiasAgainstWomen
inTech,TheyJustSuckatInterviews.BannonssitescampaignagainsttranspeopleincludesheadlineslikeWorldHealth

OrganizationReport:Trannies49XsHigherHIVRateandBigTransHateMachineTargetsPitchingGreatCurt
Schilling.
ThesepeopleandtheircontraconstitutionalviewsareaclearandpresentdangertoAmerica,anditisourresponsibilityto
keepourcountrysmostsacredvaluesintact.Placingtheminpositionsofresponsibilityandpowersendsamessagethat
theassaultonpoliticalcorrectnessiscodeforanassaultonnonwhite,nonstraight,nonmale,nonChristians.It
emboldenshategroupstowardviolenceandjustifiesfurthermarginalizationofthesepeople.
WaitingandseeingrisksallthatdefinestheUnitedStatesasalandoffreedom.Inhis1963LetterfromBirmingham
Jail,theRev.MartinLutherKingJr.arguedthatitwasatragicmisconceptionoftimetobelievethatwaitingtoseewill
providefavorableresults.Humanprogressneverrollsinonwheelsofinevitability,hesaid.Itcomesthroughthetireless
effortsofpeopleseekingsocialjustice.Nowisthetimetoliftournationalpolicyfromthequicksandofracialinjusticeto
thesolidrockofhumandignity.

WeneedanewcivildisobedienceintheAmericantraditionofThomasPaine,HenryDavidThoreauandKing.Ourefforts
mustbeorganized,focusedandcoordinatedwitheachother.Anyactionshouldbeundertakenonlywhenaclearlystated
goalispubliclyannounced.Forexample,areasonablefirstgoalwouldbeblockingBannonfromhisWhiteHousejobdueto
Breitbartsracismandmisogyny.OranannouncementbyTrumpthattherewillbenoMuslimban,afterall.OrthatNASA
willcontinuetobefundedtodoclimateresearch.
Oneessentialtoolshouldalwaysbelegalchallenges.DonatemoneytotheAmericanCivilLibertiesUnion,theNAACPand
otherorganizationsthatarewillingtofightcorruptlawsincourt,especiallyvoterIDlawsthathavebeenimposedby
Republicanstosuppressvotingbyminorityandpoorconstituents.Thesecondstepistotargetthelegislatorswhosupport
anyofTrumpsantiConstitutionpoliciesbysupportingtheiropponentsinthe2018elections.EightRepublicanSenate
seatswillbeopenforDemocratsorantiTrumpRepublicanstotake.All435HouseofRepresentativeseatswillbeinplay.
Atthesametime,weshouldbeginlaseraimedboycotts.Theseshouldbeundertakenonlywhenthereisreasonablehopeof
affectingthosebeingboycotted.Thereareothergroupscallingforboycotts,evenwithadedicatedapp,buttheylistway
toomanytargets,fromAmazon(whoseCEO,JeffreyP.Bezos,ownsTheWashingtonPost)toBloomingdales.Whiletheir
heartsareintherightplace,havingtoomanytargetsdilutestheeffectiveness.Instead,weshouldfocusonspecific
businessesincludingeverythingwiththenameTrumponit,becausethenameTrumpisnowsynonymouswithracism,

lyingtothepublic,misogynyandxenophobia.AndweneedtoboycottBannonsBreitbart.Boycottallthesitesadvertisers
untilBannonisremovedasTruympsadviser.KelloggCo.,Allstate,eyewearcompanyWarbyParkerandBombasSocks
haverecentlypulledtheiradsfromBreitbartbecauseofthesitesvalues.(Others,includingTrackR,haveaskedad
networksnottoplacetheiradsonthesite.)TargetcasinoownerSheldonAdelson,amajordonatortoTrumpscampaign
andmemberofhisinauguralcommitteebecauseofhisenormousdonationstoTrumpandotherRepublicancandidates,
hehasmoredirectinfluencethanothercontributors.TheVenetianresortcomplexinLasVegaswhichincludesthe
VenetianResortHotelCasino,theSandsExpoConventionCenterandthePalazzoHotelandCasinoResortisownedby
Adelson.Theresortcomplexisthebesttarget,ratherthanAdelsonsotherbusinesses,becauseitprovidesalargeincome
andvisitorstoLasVegashavemanyotherchoiceswheretheycanspendtheirmoney.Peopleshouldrefusetostaythere
untilamoresuitablepersonthanSessionsisproposedforattorneygeneral.
Thatsastart,butitsnotallwecando.Wehavetobepreparedtogoevenfurtherifnecessary.Duringtheearlydaysofthe
civilrightsmovement,collegestudentspushedforchangebybecomingFreedomRiderstoensurebusdesegregationand
registerblackvoters.TheywerealsoamajorforcetoendtheVietnamWar.Nowweneedstudentstospearheadpeaceful
protestsinWashington,D.C.,andoflocalgovernmentswhofollowtheantiAmericanpoliciesofaTrumpadministration.
Wealsohavetolendourfinancial,moralandphysicalsupporttoBlackLivesMatterasitcontinuestoraiseawarenessof
socialinequities.Protestscallattentiontoaproblemandhelpeducatethosewhomaynotbeawarethatthereisaproblem.
Thiscountryhasalongandeffectivehistoryofboycotts,walkouts,marchesandproteststhathavegivenpowertothose
usuallypowerless.
EverytimeIhearsomeonesay,Letswaitandsee,Ibristle,becauseImremindedagainofKingswritingfrom
Birmingham.ForyearsnowIhaveheardthewordWait!ItringsintheearofeveryNegrowithpiercingfamiliarity.This
WaithasalmostalwaysmeantNever.Wemustcometosee,withoneofourdistinguishedjurists,thatjusticetoolong
delayedisjusticedenied.

Yes,thatwasthenbutnowseemsalotlikethen.Andwecannotletjusticebedeniedbywaiting.Historyhasshownus
overandoverwhathorrorsthatleadsto.Wecannot,andwillnot,letthathappenhere.
[CORRECTION:AnearlierversionofthisstoryincorrectlysaidthatBombasSocksandTrackRhadnotpulled
advertisementsfromBreitbart.]

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, is a former cultural ambassador for the United States
and the author, most recently, of "Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White."
Follow @kaj33