Our blogging friend Scottie (see link below) alerted me to a library book being pulled and reviewed in my home county of Florida under the mandates of the current governor, Ron DeSantis. In an article by Chris Hoffman called “Roberto Clemente book pulled from shelves in Florida school district” on the CBS News outlet in Pittsburgh, the following paragraphs can be found:
“PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A book about the life and legacy of Pittsburgh Pirates legend Roberto Clemente has been pulled from shelves in a Florida county.
The legacy of Clemente is usually viewed favorably, from his amazing on-the-field skills to his work the community. So, it has some questioning why a book about his legacy was pulled.
The book “Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates” has been pulled from classrooms in Duvall Country, which includes Jacksonville.
‘Wait, a second. What is going on? I was upset about it,’ Clemente’s son Roberto Jr. said over Zoom about his initial reaction.
Roberto Clemente Jr. said the book is about his dad’s upbringing, his time with the Pirates, and humanitarian work. Part of the book discusses the racism Roberto Clemente was subjected to.”
Clemente was a much greater person than he was a baseball player and he was one of the best who ever played. He was a multiyear all-star and led his Pirates team to two championships. He left the game too early, but for a reason that is so illuminating about the person he was.
Clemente was a humanitarian who did an abundance of work with underprivileged youth, especially in his home of Puerto Rico. But, it was his last effort that leaves a legacy that needs to be told to people of all ethnicities. After a devastating earthquake in Nicaragua, Clemente charted a plane to take relief supplies to the victims. Unfortunately, he trusted a pilot whose plane was in need of more repairs than Clemente was led to believe. The plane crashed and killed Clemente at the age of 38.
It should be noted Major League Baseball temporarily suspended its requirement that a player be retired for five years before being eligible for the Hall of Fame. Clemente was elected posthumously.
The mere consideration of banning this book about such a hero is astonishing. When the story is married to the fact a book on legendary baseball player Hank Aaron has also been pulled, it goes to the heart of the bigotry of the Florida governor’s decision to white wash history. To be brutally frank, if these two baseball players were white, these books would not be pulled. Full stop.
The irony of these two figures being at the heart of this story is both men saw first-hand Jim Crow racism as they pursued their professions. In fact, most of Clemente and Aaron’s careers preceded the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Aaron received numerous death threats as he chased the home run record of Babe Ruth, which he would eventually surpass.
Both men were the epitome of quiet grace as players and people. Not unlike Jackie Robinson, they withstood a lot of antagonism and vitriol to just do their jobs in a profession that was restricted from people who looked like they did. I will add both men are far better human beings in my view than several of the current and former elected officials who live in that state, including the person who created the ban.
My guess is these books will be placed back on the shelves, but the mere fact they were pulled is telling and should be embarrassing to the people who created this ban. Of course, the governor will likely say he is not a racist or bigot, but don’t believe him. Actions speak louder than words.
musingsofanoldfart 