Upon the news of Hank Aaron’s passing at 86, many sports journalists paid tribute to the legend on social media, including Jeff Passan.
However, Passan faced backlash for a tweet where he referred to Aaron as a “true American hero” who “ignored hate as he conquered baseball.” Passan later deleted the tweet and acknowledged his poor choice of words.
In response, Bleacher Report’s Master Tesfatsion criticized Passan’s tweet, calling it an example of “white people trying to wax poetically about racism.”
Following the criticism, Passan issued an apology, admitting his intentions were noble but his execution was poor. Despite the apology, social media users continued to express their discontent with Passan’s remarks.
Some Twitter users highlighted that Aaron did not ignore racism, but rather actively fought against it throughout his life. They emphasized that it was essential to acknowledge Aaron’s struggles and achievements in the context of his fight against racism.
Overall, Passan’s tweets and subsequent apology sparked a conversation about the importance of accurately representing the experiences of Black athletes and the significance of addressing issues of race and discrimination in sports.
