Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Defends Rioting: ‘Voices of People Who Have No Voice’

SCIUTTO If you haven ░░░░░░░░ read it I do ░░░░░░░░ you take the time ░░░░░░░░ s one brief quote ░░░░░░░░ it I don t ░░░░░░░░ to see stores looted ░░░░░░░░ buildings burn But African ░░░░░░░░ have been living in ░░░░░░░░ burning building for many ░░░░░░░░ choking on the smoke ░░░░░░░░ the flames burn closer ░░░░░░░░ closer Racism in America ░░░░░░░░ like dust in the ░░░░░░░░ It seems invisible even ░░░░░░░░ you re choking on ░░░░░░░░ until you let the ░░░░░░░░ in Then you see ░░░░░░░░ s everywhere Kareem Abdul ░░░░░░░░ joins us now And ░░░░░░░░ s good to have ░░░░░░░░ sir on our broadcast ░░░░░░░░ you know as often ░░░░░░░░ in situations like this ░░░░░░░░ leaders others try to ░░░░░░░░ caricature those out in ░░░░░░░░ streets as mostly looters ░░░░░░░░ left wing radicals et ░░░░░░░░ I wonder if you ░░░░░░░░ describe in your view ░░░░░░░░ is at the root ░░░░░░░░ most of what we ░░░░░░░░ seeing out there on ░░░░░░░░ streets today ABDUL JABBAR ░░░░░░░░ I d have to ░░░░░░░░ it is a combination ░░░░░░░░ just decades of being ░░░░░░░░ toward a very real ░░░░░░░░ in the black community ░░░░░░░░ indifference that people have ░░░░░░░░ repeated shootings of black ░░░░░░░░ unarmed black Americans by ░░░░░░░░ police officers who don ░░░░░░░░ seem to have been ░░░░░░░░ very well or that ░░░░░░░░ have like a personal ░░░░░░░░ against minorities and people ░░░░░░░░ color This seems to ░░░░░░░░ a trend that is ░░░░░░░░ stubborn and it won ░░░░░░░░ it won t stop ░░░░░░░░ these are people that ░░░░░░░░ have no other voice ░░░░░░░░ They don t get ░░░░░░░░ don t get the ░░░░░░░░ power or the financial ░░░░░░░░ to change the circumstances ░░░░░░░░ what are they going ░░░░░░░░ do The voices of ░░░░░░░░ who have no voice ░░░░░░░░ s how they make ░░░░░░░░ presence known I just ░░░░░░░░ seeing a sign that ░░░░░░░░ held up in Minneapolis ░░░░░░░░ said Can you hear ░░░░░░░░ now HARLOW Yeah ABDUL ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ very very very poignant ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW You quote Langston ░░░░░░░░ you know almost seven ░░░░░░░░ ago now saying what ░░░░░░░░ to a dream deferred ░░░░░░░░ I think that just ░░░░░░░░ so much right When ░░░░░░░░ you hear us ABDUL ░░░░░░░░ Yeah HARLOW is the ░░░░░░░░ now ABDUL JABBAR That ░░░░░░░░ been the question Just ░░░░░░░░ think of how we ░░░░░░░░ disturbed and really motivated ░░░░░░░░ change things when we ░░░░░░░░ the Rodney King kill ░░░░░░░░ that was 30 years ░░░░░░░░ What happened in between ░░░░░░░░ Nothing has happened There ░░░░░░░░ consent decrees that were ░░░░░░░░ on a number of ░░░░░░░░ agencies across the country ░░░░░░░░ most of those most ░░░░░░░░ those agencies have resisted ░░░░░░░░ very very strongly They ░░░░░░░░ t want to change ░░░░░░░░ that that s very ░░░░░░░░ when you see things ░░░░░░░░ this continue to happen ░░░░░░░░ and again and again ░░░░░░░░ We had the Miami ░░░░░░░░ chief earlier who said ░░░░░░░░ in his view one ░░░░░░░░ is that you have ░░░░░░░░ chiefs of police in ░░░░░░░░ cities stand up and ░░░░░░░░ this was murder in ░░░░░░░░ uncertain terms talking about ░░░░░░░░ killing of George Floyd ░░░░░░░░ that s not isolated ░░░░░░░░ wonder when you hear ░░░░░░░░ like that but also ░░░░░░░░ symbolic steps some police ░░░░░░░░ with protestors joining them ░░░░░░░░ with protestors does that ░░░░░░░░ your view make a ░░░░░░░░ difference ABDUL JABBAR Well ░░░░░░░░ s always been some ░░░░░░░░ Americans who understand that ░░░░░░░░ they re seeing is ░░░░░░░░ and it s wrong ░░░░░░░░ people can t live ░░░░░░░░ it but there s ░░░░░░░░ no change There is ░░░░░░░░ way really to get ░░░░░░░░ of bad cops We ░░░░░░░░ want we don t ░░░░░░░░ to get rid of ░░░░░░░░ awesome policemen and women ░░░░░░░░ our streets we don ░░░░░░░░ want to get rid ░░░░░░░░ them But there are ░░░░░░░░ bad cops among them ░░░░░░░░ we need to find ░░░░░░░░ effective means to get ░░░░░░░░ of them that doesn ░░░░░░░░ threaten the rest of ░░░░░░░░ cops There are 97 ░░░░░░░░ of them who do ░░░░░░░░ great job day in ░░░░░░░░ day out many times ░░░░░░░░ not being thanked for ░░░░░░░░ you know But something ░░░░░░░░ to change on the ░░░░░░░░ side of that We ░░░░░░░░ to be able to ░░░░░░░░ rid of the bad ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW Kareem Abdul Jabbar ░░░░░░░░ wish we had an ░░░░░░░░ with you I encourage ░░░░░░░░ SCIUTTO Yeah HARLOW to ░░░░░░░░ your powerful words from ░░░░░░░░ weekend Thank you for ░░░░░░░░ you wrote.”