Ex-NBA Player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Visits Brooklyn Park To Speak on Activism
On Wednesday, Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center hosted a screening of the film “Stand,” which chronicles the life and career of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.
As a member of the Denver Nuggets in the mid-90s, Abdul-Rauf protested tyranny and oppression in the United States by refusing to stand for the national anthem. Eventually, he stood for the song, but prayed as the anthem was sung.
“The luxury of hindsight, it’s easy to say ‘well if I did this and that,’ but I’ve learned over the years that whatever I’ve gone through in life, I was supposed to go through to get me to where I am,” said Abdul-Rauf.
An image from the documentary, “Stand,” which shows Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf praying during the national anthem.
He believes those actions cut his career short, but he still encourages others to stand up for what they believe.
“That’s one of the most important things, I think, for the human beings,” Abdul-Rauf said. “We don’t do that enough. We’re so concerned with whatever people may think of us, or how they may perceive us. And I remember this quote I read a long time ago: ‘don’t let someone’s perception of you become your reality, if it’s not in line with what you see for yourself.'”
After the screening, Abdul-Rauf took part in a moderated discussion where he spoke more about the importance of activism.
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