President Joe Biden marked the death of baseball legend Henry “Hank” Aaron on Friday, saluting the monumental contributions of the Hall of Fame to the game and the legacy of fighting for racial equality.
“With courage and dignity, he eclipsed the most established sports record while absorbing the revenge that would have broken most people. But he was unbreakable, ”said Biden in a statement.
Aaron, a longtime Atlanta Braves fielder, suffered frequent death threats from people who did not want a black player to exceed Babe Ruth’s home run record, which remained for about 40 years. Biden said that Aaron’s character was instrumental in winning “the hearts and minds” of those who did not want him to succeed.