The Atlanta Braves, Aaron’s longtime team, said he died in his sleep.
“It’s just a small thing that can help zillions of people in this country.” “I feel quite proud of myself for doing something like this,” Aaron said. He wanted to spread the word to the Black community that the shots were safe in the midst of a devastating pandemic. Just 2 1/2 weeks before his death Friday at age 86, Aaron joined civil rights icons to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Right up to his final days, the Hammer was making a difference. “He never missed an opportunity to lead,” former President Barack Obama said, describing Aaron as an “unassuming man” who set a “towering example.” He wasn’t hesitant about speaking out on the issues of the day, whether it was bemoaning the lack of Blacks in management positions, or lobbying against putting Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame, or calling on those involved in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal to be tossed from the game for good. Exuding grace and dignity, Aaron spoke bluntly but never bitterly on the many hardships thrown his way - from the poverty and segregation of his Alabama youth to the ugly, racist threats he faced during his pursuit of one of America’s most hallowed records.