It comes back to Aaron, Stewart believes, because he refused to turn his back to his people. “Hank Aaron was not a caricature. He was a called man that lived his life based on character. He wasn’t a shucking and jiving, bourgeois Black person disconnected from the oppression of Black people. He came from a humble beginning, but from what I saw and heard of him, he was able to easily connect with people that were being oppressed.”

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Several guests join “Closer Look” to reflect on Aaron’s life and legacy. Rose talks with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, CJ Stewart, a former Chicago Cubs outfielder, Atlanta Technical College Dr. Victoria Seals and Doug Shipman, a Kingian Nonviolence scholar, the founding CEO of The National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

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“Hank Aaron, he was a part of the Braves coming from Milwaukee to Atlanta to prove that we were a city too busy to hate,” said Atlanta native C.J. Stewart, who once played in the Chicago Cubs organization. He says Aaron was not only a transformative figure in the city’s history but was also a mentor.

“We can hold our heads up high, Black men, Black boys, Black people that love this game of baseball, know that he was a man that used this game to do a lot of amazing things,” said Stewart.

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“Growing up in Atlanta as a young baseball player, I naturally idolized Hank Aaron. But over the years, I have identified with his journey and been inspired by his character in ways far deeper than simple admiration for a remarkable athlete.”

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