Hank Aaron.Photo: Louis Requena/MLB via Getty
A school in Atlanta is changing its name to honor the late MLB Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.
The original name honored Confederate Army Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest, who was a founding member of the Ku Klux Klan.
“It is very important that we understand our history,” said board member Michelle Olympiadis during the meeting. “It’s very important that we understand where we are coming from.”
The honor comes after Aarondied of natural causesin January. He was 86. Aaronwas laid to restin Atlanta, where he played nine years for the Braves.
Aaron ultimately played 21 seasons with the team, from 1954 to 1974, following them from their former home city of Milwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee to join the Brewers in the American League for his final two seasons.
Hank Aaron.MediaPunch/Shutterstock
AP/Shutterstock
He opened up in the past aboutreceiving thousands of racist lettersdaily, some including death threats, while chasing Ruth’s record.
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“If I was white, all America would be proud of me,” he said about a year before breaking Ruth’s record, according to theAssociated Press. “But I am Black.”
The right fielder was also an activist in the civil rights movement.
source: people.com
