[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 17 (Thursday, January 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S204]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 23--HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF HENRY LOUIS AARON

  Mr. WARNOCK (for himself, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Shelby, and Mr. Tuberville) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary:

                               S. Res. 23

       Whereas Henry Louis ``Hank'' Aaron was born 1 of 8 children 
     on February 5, 1934, to Herbert Aaron Sr. and Estella 
     (Pritchett) Aaron in Mobile, Alabama;
       Whereas Mr. Aaron grew up during the height of Jim Crow and 
     segregation and faced racism and discrimination from a young 
     age, including from the stands while playing in the South as 
     a minor league baseball player early in his baseball career;
       Whereas Mr. Aaron began his baseball career as a teenager 
     in the Negro leagues, first playing for the Prichard 
     Athletics, then the Mobile Black Bears, before being signed 
     by the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League;
       Whereas, in 1952, Mr. Aaron was signed by the Boston 
     Braves, who assigned him to play in the minor league for 
     their Northern League farm team, the Eau Claire Bears, where 
     he made the Northern League's All-Star team and was 
     unanimously named Rookie of the Year;
       Whereas, in 1953, Mr. Aaron was promoted to play for the 
     South Atlantic League affiliate of the Braves, the 
     Jacksonville Braves, as one of the league's first Black 
     players, where he immediately helped the team win the league 
     championship and won the South Atlantic League's Most 
     Valuable Player Award;
       Whereas, in 1954, Mr. Aaron was invited to attend spring 
     training with the Milwaukee Braves and signed his first Major 
     League Baseball contract on the final day of Braves spring 
     training, making his Major League Baseball debut against the 
     Cincinnati Reds and hitting his first Major League Baseball 
     home run on April 23, 1954;
       Whereas Mr. Aaron won his first batting title in 1956 and 
     was voted the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1957, 
     helping the Braves win their first pennant in Milwaukee and 
     leading the Braves to a 1957 World Series victory against the 
     New York Yankees;
       Whereas, in 1966, Mr. Aaron moved with the Braves to 
     Atlanta, Georgia and went on to play 23 seasons in Major 
     League Baseball, all but his final 2 seasons with the Braves 
     in Milwaukee and then Atlanta;
       Whereas, on April 4, 1974, Mr. Aaron tied Babe Ruth's home 
     run record by hitting home run number 714 in a game against 
     the Cincinnati Reds on his first swing of the season;
       Whereas, on the evening of April 8, 1974, Mr. Aaron made 
     history by breaking Babe Ruth's record when he hit home run 
     number 715 against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta-Fulton 
     County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, cementing his place in 
     history as the Nation's home run king;
       Whereas, during the historic moment, veteran baseball 
     broadcaster Vin Scully announced, ``What a marvelous moment 
     for baseball. What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the 
     State of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and 
     the world. A Black man is getting a standing ovation in the 
     Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball 
     idol.'';
       Whereas Mr. Aaron went on to hit 755 home runs in his 
     career, a home run record that went unbroken for more than 30 
     years, with his final home run coming on July 20, 1976;
       Whereas, at the time of his passing, Mr. Aaron held the 
     Major League Baseball records for the most career runs batted 
     in (2,297), extra base hits (1,477), and total bases (6,856);
       Whereas, at the time of his passing, Mr. Aaron was 1 of 
     only 4 players to have at least 17 seasons with 150 or more 
     hits, was in second place for most in home runs and at-bats 
     (12,364), and was in third place for most games played 
     (3,298) and hits (3,771);
       Whereas, in addition to his records, Mr. Aaron achieved 
     numerous career highlights and awards, including--
       (1) becoming the ninth player to achieve the 3,000 hit 
     milestone and the first player to achieve both 500 home runs 
     and 3,000 hits;
       (2) being a 2-time National League batting champion;
       (3) winning the National League's single-season home run 
     title 4 times;
       (4) achieving a career batting average of .305;
       (5) being voted an All-Star in all but his first and last 
     seasons; and
       (6) winning 3 Gold Glove awards for his play as a right 
     fielder;
       Whereas Mr. Aaron achieved these milestones while bravely 
     facing racism at every stage of his historic career, 
     including being barred from hotels where his minor league 
     white teammates stayed, receiving many racist letters and 
     threats, and even needing protection from law enforcement at 
     games to protect against racist violence or harassment;
       Whereas during his career Mr. Aaron became a national 
     symbol for perseverance by demonstrating athletic greatness 
     and strength while enduring vicious racism and hate, helping 
     advance the cause for civil rights and becoming a civic 
     leader in the Black community.
       Whereas Mr. Aaron became the first Black American to hold a 
     senior management position in Major League Baseball as a 
     front office executive with the Atlanta Braves, supported the 
     National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 
     (``NAACP''), and founded the Chasing the Dream Foundation to 
     support underprivileged youth through mentorship and 
     financial support;
       Whereas, in April 1977, the Atlanta Braves retired Mr. 
     Aaron's Number 44, erected a statue in his honor in 1982, and 
     named the address of their second home, Turner Field, as 755 
     Hank Aaron Drive;
       Whereas Mr. Aaron is an integral part of Mobile, Alabama 
     history and has been recognized by the city through the 
     construction of a stadium, opening of a museum, and naming of 
     a park, in his honor;
       Whereas, in 1982, his first year of eligibility, Mr. Aaron 
     was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 97.8 
     percent of the vote, the second-highest tally at the time 
     only to Ty Cobb;
       Whereas, on the 25th anniversary of Mr. Aaron's 715th home 
     run, Major League Baseball created the Hank Aaron Award, 
     given annually to the players with the best overall offensive 
     performances in each league;
       Whereas, in 2002, Mr. Aaron received the Presidential Medal 
     of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian award, from 
     President George W. Bush, with the citation noting that Mr. 
     Aaron ``embodies the true spirit of our Nation''; and
       Whereas at the time of his passing, Mr. Aaron was long 
     renowned for having uplifted the Black community and improved 
     human relations over his career through his tremendous 
     display of dignity and long record of achievement in the face 
     of racism and hate, cementing his legacy as a leading figure 
     for civil rights: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) honors the life and legacy of Henry Louis Aaron for his 
     accomplishments on and off the baseball field, and for 
     defying racism and breaking down racial barriers in the fight 
     for equality as one of the last Major League Baseball All-
     Stars to have played in the Negro leagues;
       (2) proclaims that Henry Louis Aaron indeed embodied the 
     true spirit and promise of our Nation, reflected the best of 
     the determination and perseverance of the people of the 
     United States, and exemplified the indomitable will of Black 
     Americans to overcome impossible odds to achieve greatness in 
     the face of relentless adversity and racism; and
       (3) recognizes the life and legacy of Henry Louis Aaron as 
     an important figure in the fight for civil rights, as well as 
     one of the greatest and most prolific baseball players and 
     professional athletes of the United States, of all time.

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