Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shared his passion for protest at his book talk Monday.

The UCLA alumnus and former National Basketball Association player published his newest book, “We All Want to Change the World: My Journey Through Social Justice Movements From the 1960s to Today” on May 13. Abdul-Jabbar is heavily involved in activism, and even protested on Bruinwalk when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, said Deborah Morales, Abdul-Jabbar’s business manager. Morales asked him what his definition of protest was at Monday’s event in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom.

“Protest is the voice we express ourselves when things go against our moral background,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “We have to do something about it, if it’s for our own personal protection or the protection of our society.”

[Related: UCLA alumnus brings science background to debut novel ‘The Beauty of the End’]

Leilani Campos, an attendee of the event, said when she learned that Abdul-Jabbar protested on campus, she wished UCLA allowed students to express their opinions through protests more often. Given UCLA’s long history of activism, she added that she thinks the university should support students rather than punish them. Abdul-Jabbar said when he was protesting on Bruinwalk as a student, people told him he had nothing to protest about because he was joining the NBA – a view he heavily disagreed with.

Morales also asked what Abdul-Jabbar’s response would be to those who criticize protestors. He said those who are unaware of the issues may respond with ridicule, but once they learn more about the problems, their feelings may change. He added that when NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick peacefully protested by kneeling during the national anthem before a football game in 2016, the act reminded viewers of racism in America.

During the book talk, Abdul-Jabbar spoke about the events that inspired his social activism. He was 8 years old when Emmett Till was murdered, and he eventually learned about Till’s death when he was 14, he said. Injustices like Till’s experienced by Black Americans make people angry, but if people respond to them with violence and anger, others view them as the problem, Abdul-Jabbar added. One instance of racism in his personal life that angered him, he said, was a segregated swimming pool in his hometown of Manhattan.

“It (the swimming pool) was just part of the little things, but the things that make you feel less,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “It steps on your humanity to be treated like that.”

After four young African American girls were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963, Abdul-Jabbar said this event was the final straw for him and that he viewed the events as a statement from white supremacists. Additionally, he said he refused to support the chairman of the Olympic committee because he banned Jewish athletes from competing in Berlin in an attempt to appease Hitler in 1936. Later, Morales said an athlete with an interest in social justice is difficult to brand.

[Related: Book review: Gardiner Harris’ new exposé competently uncovers Johnson & Johnson ethical battles]

Additionally, Morales asked Abdul-Jabbar what shocks him the most after 60 years of advocating for social justice. Hank Skolnick, another attendee of the book talk, said he resonated with Abdul-Jabbar’s answer, which was that the long-term lack of social justice surprised him the most . It can feel frustrating for others to not feel the same passion regarding activism, Skolnick added, and he appreciated how Abdul-Jabbar talked about experiences that Skolnick himself has not contended with as a 26 year old.

During the question and answer section of the event, an attendee asked Abdul-Jabbar how, despite being a senior citizen, he can support protests. Abdul-Jabbar said senior citizens can provide financial support and remind relatives to support the political parties of their choosing. Earlier in the book talk, he mentioned that society often dismisses the elderly because they are assumed to no longer be able to contribute. Yet the elderly have much to contribute, Abdul-Jabbar added, since they have wisdom and experience others can learn from.

Throughout the event, Abdul-Jabbar spoke about the importance of consistent protesting. He said that if society does not confront the social issues facing them, those issues will persist.

“It works, but it takes time,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “It takes patience, and you can’t get it done without dealing with risk.”