Hank Aaron made the Blueprint for the Black Athlete

Hank Aaron was how I would have imagined Jackie Robinson to be if he had lived in my lifetime.

He was cool, calm and collected despite playing under some of the harshest conditions a human could endure. Robinson was the first to endure the racial harassment that enabled Aaron’s success, but Hank was the one who dominated despite of.

If Jackie Robinson was the Fredrick Douglas of baseball, Hank Aaron has to be the Martin Luther King of the game. Aaron achieved certain accomplishments that no black baseball player had ever achieved before him. Though Aaron passed away his legacy should continue in the same way that Robinson’s has all these years.

Aaron hit his final home run (No.755) on July 20, 1976, 12 years before I was born. I wasn’t able to witness his legendary career but I was I was able to watch the interviews and appearances he made following his career. During the interviews, Aaron never handled himself in a negative light; he was always positive and appreciative of being included despite his short comings with media attention.

Growing up an Atlanta Braves fan, Aaron was always a big part of the team’s history, he always showed up to be honored by Major League Baseball.

He handled himself with class no matter what. He seemed say the right things when they needed to be said. During a time when the older generations of athletes have been known to detach from the younger generation of athletes, Hank embraced them.

During his career and during the latter part of life he could have been bitter. And no one would have faulted him for it. When it comes to baseball there weren’t many better than him, if any. Jackie Robinson will be a legend for being the first black baseball player to play in the MLB and Hank was a much better baseball player.

Hank hit more home runs than Babe Ruth but he never received that same recognition. Barry Bonds broke his home run record but suspected he cheated his way there. It seemed that Aaron was always mentioned when it was convenient, but he was easily forgotten in many circles when it came time to discuss some of the greatest players to ever live.

It seemed as though no matter what Hank achieved, he was always short changed. Most people in Aaron’s position would have thrown salt on the names of the individuals who got more attention despite having lesser resumes.

Instead Hank seemed fulfilled by what he had achieved that he did not need to tear anyone down to elevate his status in the game.

With the passing of Aaron there is one thing that our ultra-sensitive generation can learn from his life, it’s the ability to move forward in the face of criticism and racial injustice. Far too often, the black athletes of this time answer mistreatment with emotional responses that don’t serve them well.

Imagine what it would have been like to see Colin Kaepernick dominate the NFL, while still battling injustices in our society. That’s what Hank did in baseball. Instead of being overwhelmed by the constant death threats, he found motivation that drove him to achieve accomplishments that were bigger than anything a racist could ever say to him.

If Aaron taught us anything, it would be to endure and keep focused on the task at hand. He understood that baseball was the tool that garnered him the attention to achieve great things off the field.

Hank is one of the GOATS. He answered all the insults with home runs.

He taught everyone a lesson, when they hate, just dominate.