Unknown to many, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar previously had a battle with prostate cancer. He admitted he managed to overcome his threatening illness along with his past encounters with leukemia and heart bypass surgery due to his celebrity status as a former NBA player.
In an essay he recently wrote for WebMD, the 73-year-old mentioned he is fully aware of the fact many people of color don't have the opportunity to have access to the same privileges he previously had:
“I've been fortunate because my celebrity has brought me enough financial security to receive excellent medical attention,” Abdul-Jabbar said.
“But while I'm grateful for my advantages, I'm acutely aware that many others in the Black community do not have the same options and that it is my responsibility to join with those fighting to change that. Because Black lives are at risk. Serious risk.”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also called out the inequality looming over the entire health care system in America:
“The more insidious and damaging threat to the health, lives, and economic well-being of Black Americans is a health care system that ignores the fact that, though they are most in need of medical services, they actually receive the lowest level,” he added.
The notion of highlighting the flaws within the nation's health care system is a timely topic considering the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The entire United States is still a hotbed for the virus, with around 15 million positive cases and nearly 300,000 deaths as of December 2020, per The New York Times.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hopes to use his platform in order to shed light on the current situation involving the Black community with regards to receiving attention from the health care system in America. His insights will hopefully serve as a wake-up call for every person to not turn a blind eye and work to make changes for the better.
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