Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > November > 10 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USAaron shed tears of joy over Obama
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hank Aaron eased into one of his famous laughs at the thought. “He’s the 44th president, and that was my uniform number, by the way,” said baseball’s legitimate home run king, before delivering more laughs nearly a week after he cried in the living room of his southwest Atlanta home over the election of Barack Obama.
Moment by moment, Aaron spent Tuesday night dabbing his 74-year-old eyes. He sat with his wife, Billye, in front of two television sets, because they wished to see as much of history as possible.
“I’m still collecting newspapers, different articles, all of those things over this, and I’m still on cloud nine,” said Aaron, referring to the United States selecting its first African-American president. Four days before, Aaron was an emotional wreck in his hometown of Mobile, where they moved his childhood home to a spot near the ballpark that carries his name.
That was nice, but the Obama thing produced Aaron’s ongoing joy. “I’ve been telling people that we may not have gotten our 40 acres and a mule, but we got 50 states,” Aaron said. “It was a happy scene for me — and for a lot of black people, given what we’ve been through in this country, and then to have this history.”
This was amazing history, the kind that Aaron couldn’t envision while growing up on the other side of the segregated tracks in the Deep South. The kind that wasn’t a possibility when he couldn’t share some hotels or even clubhouses with his white teammates. The kind that seemed ridiculous when he battled Babe Ruth’s ghost and racist fans along the way to making 715 and then 755 the new numbers for all-time greatness regarding home runs. The kind that Aaron’s hero, Jackie Robinson, couldn’t imagine, especially since the man who broke baseball’s color barrier died soon after imploring the sport in October 1972 to hire its first black third base coach — not to mention its first black manager.
Now a black man is heading to the White House, and Aaron sighed while recalling so many things. Take Sept. 23, 1957. That’s when Aaron became more popular than beer and cheese in Wisconsin. His walk-off homer at Milwaukee County Stadium gave the National League pennant to the Braves. He was carried off the field by his white teammates.
That same day, an angry white mob in Little Rock forced nine black students to flee Central High School during desegregation attempts.
“No, no. Going back in time, I never thought this was even close to being a possibility regarding the election of a black president in this country,” said Aaron, who knows something about presidents. Except for Dwight Eisenhower, he has encountered all nine of them since he began his journey to Cooperstown in the early 1950s. He hasn’t met Obama, but they attended the same function earlier this year in Atlanta, where Obama spotted Aaron in the crowd and pointed his way.
Even then, Aaron didn’t believe he was viewing a future president.
“None of this has sunk in, and it’s going to become even more unbelievable on that day in January when he stands on that platform and is sworn in,” Aaron said. “I mean, that’s going to really be another emotional day to see him as a black man, with his black wife and two little black girls beside him.”
Aaron paused, searching for words, before adding, “It’s just.” There was another long pause, before he said, “Well, it’s just indescribable, really.”
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By ME
November 11, 2008 9:27 AM | Link to this
An historic moment for the ages. I wish I had collected papers to get a piece of the history.
I still can’t believe this is real.
By david
November 11, 2008 9:30 AM | Link to this
“I’ve been telling people that we may not have gotten our 40 acres and a mule, but we got 50 states,” It’s this type of sentiment that marginalizes Obama as a black special-interest president. Don’t you think it’s demeaning to his presidency and accomplishments to focus on his race and proclaim ‘victory for all blacks’?
By ADH
November 11, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this
Excellent article Mr. Moore. Thank you for taking a moment to interview Mr. Aaron and provide inspirational pieces like these.
By Aaron Park
November 11, 2008 9:54 AM | Link to this
I still think they shoulda named Turner Field, Aaron Park - not to take anything away from Ted who I am a big fan of - however Henry Aaron is not being properly commemorated here in Atlanta
By chucktown
November 11, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
i wish there could be a panel of these gentlemen to magnify just what this means to many that have no idea of the Aaron stories or the civil rights stories. a panel that consist of Dr. cornell west, rep. john lewis, etc. and put on the national stage. the road to this day was long and extremely hard and should be magnified. this is an oppurtunity to reach the youth and reconnect them with the importance of history and this history that they will one day pass to another generation trying to reach another milestone. this was a great perspective from a living legend that had it rough, so imagine the trials and tribulations of the average black man from that same snapshot in time.
By DAN
November 11, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this
hANK WAS MY HERO GROWING UP AND STILL IS TODAY. I ALSO VOTED FOR OBAMA. THE JURY WILL BE OUT UNTIL HIS TERM IS OVER TO FIND OUT IF WE DID THE RIGHT THING, i DO AGREE WITH HANK NO ONE COULD HAVE EVER THOUGHT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. IT WAS BIG DAY IN THE COUNTRY’S PROUD HISTORY.
By baseballfan
November 11, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this
T-Moore, thank you for printing Hank’s account of this historic moment in American history
By Gene
November 11, 2008 10:28 AM | Link to this
In 1960, many of my relatives, who were Irish Protestants, were in a state of shock over John Kennedy and by the fact that my parents had enrolled me in a Catholic school. Tabloids were printing garbage about Kennedy conspiring with the Pope in the same way that Obama was alleged to be communicating with Muslim terrorists. Now my grandchildren are studying to become Catholics, which is a non issue. Perhaps racial tensions will disappear in the same manner. This event could not happen in any other country in the world, and it is a very special time for all of us.
By AdirondackDave
November 11, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this
Two great Americans, Hank Aaron and Barack Obama. I’m proud to be able to call myself an American as well.
By AdirondackDave
November 11, 2008 11:06 AM | Link to this
Fine article, Terrance. Baseball needs more of these stories on the human side.
By willdave
November 11, 2008 11:29 AM | Link to this
I can only imagine the shock that African-Americans of Aaron’s generation and older must feel over Obama’s election as president. They experienced first-hand a degree of racism that most of us have only read about, so they were more likely to believe that they would never see an African-American elected president in their lifetime. Excellent examination of that difference in generational view, Mr. Moore.
By NotaAtlantafan
November 11, 2008 1:03 PM | Link to this
While it is great for Hank to be able to see a “black” man in the white house and feel some vindication, this is another troubling example of not seeing the deeper picture. I too wanted to see a person of color in such a high position. But I wanted to see it based on that persons ability to due the job and to do what is best for America. Only time will tell if this newly elected man will have won based on his abilities to get the job done. But based on the platform he ran on I truly doubt it. But with that said he is the President elect and he will be my President.
By Stan
November 11, 2008 1:13 PM | Link to this
Nice story… Hank Aaron was a great player and is a wonderful human being.
But I have had enough of the media trotting out every famous African-American actor, athlete and entertainer in what looks like an attempt to hijack Obama’s victory and make it a victory solely about the black race.
There were large segmenets of the black population that voted FOR Obama only because he was black. There were large segments of the white and latino populations that voted AGAINST Obama only because he was black. Neither reason is a good reason.
The real victory in this historic election is that someone of color was chosen by people of all races in this country, ONLY because they believed he was the best person for the job.
By BillY B
November 11, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this
Great atlicle about one of my all time heros. It’s so great to see how this election has affected so many, even a great legend like the Hammer. Growing up in a white suburban neighbor hood in Georgia in the 60’s, we didin’t see Hank as black man. He was our hero and really the only thing we had to be proud of with our sports teams. In our sandlot games, We would usually choose a hero to be known as during that days game. Sometimes fights would almost break out for who gets the honor of being called the Hammer that day. He was the greatest, and always will be in my mind.
By TomKraj
November 11, 2008 1:51 PM | Link to this
The world is a different place than it was a week ago. America has decided that race is not as important as we once thought.
Thank you Jackie Robinson.
Thank you Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King.
Thank you #44 Hank Aaron.
Thank you #44 Barack Obama.
By KC
November 11, 2008 2:28 PM | Link to this
I think it’s wonderful that we have elected a black president… but I hope we don’t try to make Obama into a hero in the way that Jackie Robinson was a hero.
Jackie had to stand his ground under unbelievable hardship. He endured many, many death threats, and daily racial slurs and insults.
Jackie had it rough. Obama hasn’t.
Let’s celebrate the fact that we as a nation have been willing to elect someone who happens to be a minority.
But PLEASE America… don’t turn this guy into some sort of a hero. He isn’t one. He was an ambitious young man who decided he wanted to be president, just like thousands of other politicians.
Not only did he not have to work harder than other politicians to get this position… he didn’t work nearly as hard as EVERY president in our history has had to work to get to the same place.
He is an incredibly fortunate man who is benefiting from the sacrifices of those who have gone before him. People like Jackie Robinson and Dr. King.
Obama has lived a charmed adult life, and does not deserve the hero worship that black leaders and pioneers of generations past DO clearly deserve today.
By AdirondackDave
November 11, 2008 2:51 PM | Link to this
KC — You don’t know what you are talking about. You know nothing about Barack Obama’s early life or what he has dealt with as an adult. He is a hero and role model to billions of people on the planet and has a real chance to profoundly change our culture for the better.
By doggone
November 11, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this
Nice sentiments. Way past time for a black president, but you picked the wrong guy. Now will the last one to leave the USA for the USSR (United States Socialist Republic) please turn out the lights!
By Jerronimo
November 11, 2008 3:50 PM | Link to this
This a great victory for Blacks like myself. But not to take away anything from the BIG picture here, we have to understand that we as AMERICANS drive the worlds view on things. This is CHANGE overall. It’s not just a BLACK thing. It’s an AMERICAN THING. We have crossed the line, broken a barrier that has been set for hundreds of years people. THIS IS A NEW ERA. Yes WE can. I am proud of us.