Hank Aaron Shares Powerful Message Amid Civil Rights Protests

Hank Aaron Shares Powerful Message Amid Civil Rights Protests

August 2, 2021

At 86, any time Hank Aaron makes a live appearance, it is a celebrated event. In the era of COVID-19, the 86-year-old Hall of Famer recently got behind the screen to join former Atlanta Braves All-Star Brian Jordan for an intimate talk on Facebook Live.

Aaron was at the forefront of the civil rights movement as a baseball player. His career started in 1952 with the Negro Leagues’ Indianapolis Clowns, playing three months as an 18-year-old before the Milwaukee Braves signed him into their organization. He helped to integrate the minor leagues, as he, along with four other Jacksonville teammates, broke the Sally League’s color barrier in 1954.

In the wake of the protests across the country, Aaron recalled questioning whether he should have marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He explained how a friend convinced him to stay on the field. “It was kind of tough,” Aaron said during Jordan’s Facebook Live interview. “Dr. King was getting ready to march in Washington. I said to myself, ‘Should I do the marching or what?’ … I had a friend of mine call and say, ‘Hey, you're doing just about as much as you can do right now by not marching. By you playing baseball, you’re breaking the rules and doing all these other things.’

 

Read the source article at forbes.com

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