Entertainment

Book Review- “Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality”

Published

10 years ago

August 23, 2016

The fix won’t be quick.

It never is. There’s no magic wand to change the things that have been on your mind lately: social issues, inequality, poverty, politics, apathy, violence. Those ills didn’t arrive quickly, and they won’t leave quickly, but, says Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, they can be repaired. In his new book “Writings on the Wall” (with Raymond Obstfeld), he explains.

When people ask Abdul-Jabbar what he might’ve become, had he not played NBA basketball, his answer often surprises them: he would’ve been a history teacher. History fascinates him – especially in the way it reflects racism, religious intolerance, and gender issues.

In history, as in current events, the truth is sometimes bent.

Take, for instance, politics, which is on everyone’s mind. We rail and complain about issues and promises broken and we like to think it’s all out of our hands. The truth is that we are the problem: we grow complacent about things we don’t want, acting “like children when it comes to politics” and hoping the government will “take care of us,” rather than taking steps to fix the system ourselves.

White people may deny that racism exists, says Abdul-Jabbar, while Black people know that it does. Racism didn’t stop with the election of the nation’s first Black president. It doesn’t end with melting-pot cultural appropriation. It actually comes in two forms, he says, and education is the first step in dealing with it, not eliminating it, because racism is always going to be around.

On religion, we should never lose sight of the fact that this “country was founded by religious outcasts running for their lives from persecution for their beliefs.” When it comes to equality for women, we must embrace the true meaning of “feminist” and adhere to what we tell pollsters when it comes to gender.

We need to look at the media and how to maximize its potential, and we must take better care of our seniors.

“We cannot afford to just wring out hands and depend on the kindness of strangers,” Abdul-Jabbar says. “We have to bring about change on our own.”

Remember when your grade school teacher told you to put on your thinking cap? You’ll need it again as you’re reading “Writings on the Wall.”

Authors Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld don’t just examine issues that are on the minds of every American. They turn them over and blow them apart, looking for solutions that can be accomplished and chiding us gently for not already working.

That makes for a thought-demanding, intellectually heavy book but it’s also a worthy call to action; you may also be delighted to see that Abdul-Jabbar doesn’t miss a chance to add a touch of the personal here, which includes quietly unexpected humor.

Readers with the right mindset will find this book to be informative and entertaining but be prepared to take your time get the most from it. There aren’t a lot of pages inside “Writings on the Wall,” but what’s here is deep and wide and nowhere near quick.

“Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White” by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld, c.2016, Liberty Street Books, $27.95; 256 pages.

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Arts and Culture

Book Review: Books on Black History and Black Life for Kids

For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 10, 2026

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Photo of Black History Month book covers by Terri Schlichenmeyer.

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Authors: Various, Copyright: c. 2025, 2026, Publishers: Various, SRPs: $17.99-$18.99, Page Counts: Various,

Everybody in your family has stories to share.

Your parents have told you some, no doubt. Your grandparents have offered a few, too, and aunties and uncles have spun some good tales. But there’s so much more to know, so grab one of these great books and learn about Black History and Black life.

For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.

If someone said you couldn’t do something that you were clearly able to do, would you fight to do it anyhow? In the new book, “Remember Her Name! Debbie Allen’s Rise to Fame” by Tami Charles, illustrated by Meredith Lucius (Charlesbridge, $17.99), a young girl in the Jim Crow South is told that she can’t dance because of the color of her skin.

She didn’t listen, though, and neither did her mother, who took her daughter to Mexico, where the girl soared! This is an inspiration for any 5-to-7-year-old; be sure to check out the back-of-the-book information, if you’re an adult fan.

Do you often hear your elders say things that sound like lessons? They might be, so “Where There is Love: A Story of African Proverbs” by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Leticia Moreno (Penguin Workshop, $18.99) is a book you’ll like. It’s a quick-to-read collection of short proverbs that you can say every day. Kids ages 4-to-6 will easily remember what they find in this book; again, look in the back for more information.

Surely, you love your neighborhood, which is why the tale inside “Main Street: A Community Story about Redlining” by Britt Hawthorne and Tiffany Jewell, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Penguin Kokila, $18.99) is a book for you.

Olivia’s neighborhood is having a block party, but she’s sad when no one shows up. That’s when she learns that “the government” is discriminating against the people and businesses near where she lives. So, what can she and her neighbors do? The answer might inspire 6-to-8-year-old kids to stand up to wrongs they see, and to help make their neighborhoods stronger and safer.

And finally, if a kid wants a book, where can they go to find it? In “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy” by Mychal Threets, illustrated by Lorraine Nam (Random House, $18.99) is a good introduction to the best of what a library has to offer. The freedom to walk into a library and borrow a book is the theme here, as is the sheer happiness of being welcomed, no matter who you are. This is an easy book for kids as young as two and as old as five to enjoy.

On that note, if you want more, head to that library, or a nearby bookstore. They’ll be glad to see you. They’ve got stories to share.