Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Joins Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee

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CoinWorld - Why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is joining the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. The NBA Hall of Famer will become the coin and medal review panel's first African-American member.

NBA Hall of Famer, author and coin collector Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's quest to become the first African-American member of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee began nearly two years before U.S. Mint officials announced his appointment Jan. 19 to the coin and medal design review panel.

Deborah Morales, Abdul-Jabbar's publicist with Iconomy, said Abdul-Jabbar believed then, and continues to believe, he can make a significant contribution to how the nation's coin and medal designs are conceived and executed.

"As the first African-American to sit on this committee, I will be able to add my voice, as well as the voices of the people of color whom I represent," Abdul-Jabbar said via email. "I will add an element of diversity in suggesting how America is remembered, as well as how those overlooked people of color who helped build America are remembered."

After breaking the story of Abdul-Jabbar's appointment in January, Coin World conducted an extensive interview by email with Abdul-Jabbar on his collecting habits and CCAC appointment.

Abdul-Jabbar said he learned of the CCAC and its mission two years ago from numismatic friend John Albanese, founder of Numismatic Guaranty Corp. and Certified Acceptance Corp.

"He explained the kind of work they [CCAC] do in advising the Treasury on commemorative coins and I realized how much of a role they played in celebrating important people in history," Abdul-Jabbar said. "I've spent the last twenty years writing books and articles that celebrate overlooked people of color who have had an extraordinary impact on American culture. So, it seemed like a perfect fit."



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