"YOU HAVE SHOWN THE WORLD HOW THE LIGHT IS PASSED FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT": FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY, OF BLACK PROFILES IN COURAGE, INSCRIBED BY KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR TO COLIN POWELL IN THE YEAR OF PUBLICATION

ABDUL-JABBER, Kareem and STEINBERG, Alan. Black Profiles in Courage. A Legacy of African American Achievement. New York: William Morrow, (1996). Octavo, original black paper boards, original dust jacket.

First edition, presentation copy, of this collection of profiles of influential Black Americans, inscribed on the half title in the year of publication to former Secretary of State Colin Powell: "Gen Powell, I hope you enjoy this volume. You have shown the world how the light is passed from one generation to the next. All the best. Kareem 10/96."

"To provide role models for African Americans, particularly young people, retired basketball star Abdul-Jabbar (Giant Steps) and Steinberg (Behind the Mask) have crafted here interesting and nuanced accounts of heroic African Americans whose accomplishments changed U.S. history. Among them are the lives of the 16th-century Moroccan explorer Estevanico, Revolutionary War patriot Crispus Attucks, slave liberator Harriet Tubman, anti-slavery author Frederick Douglass, Western frontier marshal Bass Reeves and a riveting description of West African rice farmer Joseph Cinque, who led a rebellion on the slave ship Amistad in 1839" (Publishers Weekly). This copy was inscribed by Abdul-Jabbar to Colin Powell, a fellow Harlemite. The two men were speakers at Peter Lowe's "Success 1996" seminar. Since then, Abdul-Jabbar looked to Powell as an inspiration for his philanthropic endeavors. While Abdul-Jabbar didn't agree with the administration that Powell served in, Abdul-Jabbar admired his accomplishments and the way those helped to uplift the Black community in America. Like many people who respected Powell, Abdul-Jabbar felt compelled to "answer a nationwide call from retired Gen. Colin Powell for volunteers. 'When he talked about volunteerism, it made a lot of sense to me,' said Abdul-Jabbar, who developed a relationship with Powell. 'Our nation has so much. People in my position, with time and not pressed financially, are the ones that need to share'" (Tampa Bay Times). In Abdul-Jabbar's case, he volunteered as an assistant coach for a high school basketball team on an Apache reserve in Arizona, subsequently writing a book about his experiences.

Book very good, with spot of soiling to front endpaper, slight dampstaining to bottom corner of text block, and chips to boards at lower front corner and base of spine. Dust jacket fine. A most desirable inscribed presentation copy.