Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, considered by many fans and sportswriters to be the greatest basketball player of all time, will deliver the keynote address at Wayne State University's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute on Tuesday, Jan. 18. Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, a fellow member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, will introduce Abdul-Jabbar at the event. The program will begin at 11 a.m. at the Max M. Fisher Music Center, located at 3711 Woodward Ave. in Detroit. Tickets for the program only are $10; tickets that include a strolling luncheon are $65. A 10-pack of program/luncheon tickets is $500. For more details, visit www.govaffairs.wayne.edu, or call (313) 577-0701. Reservations are required and may be submitted at http://govaffairs.wayne.edu/community/mlk/tribute2011.php.

Net proceeds from this year's event will be donated to select Detroit schools through the Adopt-A-Classroom program. Adopt-A-Classroom is a nationally recognized organization that raises funds to help teachers purchase resources for their classrooms. Last year, Detroit schools received $10,000 from Wayne State's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute. The Wayne State tribute program includes special recognition for community leaders who exemplify King's goals and philosophy. It also highlights WSU's role as a bridge-building institution that keeps King's vision of racial harmony and community service alive.

"I'm thrilled to have an opportunity to speak at Wayne State, an institution that echoes the goals set out by the Skyhook Foundation," said Abdul-Jabbar, who founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation to mentor aspiring youths from underserved communities. "Wayne State has established itself as a proactive leader in reaching out to improve the lives of those in need thanks to initiatives such as Wayne Cares. To be included in this annual event celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is truly an honor. My hope is that through efforts such as On the Shoulders of Giants, we are able to galvanize people from all walks of life to come together and make a difference in their communities."

The film, On the Shoulders of Giants, based on Abdul-Jabbar's New York Times best seller of the same title will be released in February for Black History Month. For locations and times, visit www.kareemabduljabbar.com. The film takes place in Harlem in 1939 when "colored" professional basketball teams could compete against white teams but could not vie for championships or belong in the same leagues. On the Shoulders of Giants aims to revive this important, yet little-known piece of black history. A high school-level program developed by Abdul-Jabbar's Skyhook Foundation was created to bring the film's educational message to public schools.

The NCAA named Abdul-Jabbar one of the top 100 scholar athletes of the century. ESPN has called him the "Greatest Collegiate Player of the 20th Century" and Time Magazine pronounced him "History's Greatest Player." He was a 19-time all-star and set the NBA all-time records in nine categories - he also remains the NBA's all-time Leading Scorer. However, as Kareem himself says, "I can do more than shoot a ball through a hoop." A lifelong passion for history led to his authoring six best-selling books on various historical subjects.

In addition to Abdul-Jabbar, the Jan. 18 tribute will feature students from InsideOut's Citywide Poets, an intensive after-school program for aspiring high school poets. For the past two years, three young poets received standing ovations as they performed their extraordinary poems crafted especially for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute program. The Citywide Poets have won numerous awards including the prestigious Coming Up Taller Award given by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. In addition, choirs from the Detroit High School of the Arts Achievers Ladies Ensemble and the Detroit Academy of the Arts and Sciences will perform.

Established in the late 1990s, Wayne State University's Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute event has featured prominent civil rights leaders and advocates including Dr. C.T. Vivian, world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon Benjamin Carson, Essence Magazine Editor Emeritus Susan Taylor and prominent Detroit minister Rev. Dr. Charles G. Adams.

A comprehensive digital press kit is available at https://docs.wayne.edu/4d24823c9d6bd.pdf.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research university offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.