Hank Aaron expressed pride after being injected with the COVID-19 vaccination. The iconic Hall of Famer hopes his willingness to be vaccinated Tuesday will help lessen concerns some Black Americans may have about receiving the shot.
Young told the AP the mistrust Black Americans have for vaccinations stems from the Tuskegee experiment, an infamous study which left syphilis untreated in participating Black men without their consent. The experiment spanned from 1932-72.
“I’ve been taking vaccines now for 88 years and I haven’t been sick,” Young said. “The truth of it is, Black folk have been living by shots, and just because they did something crazy and murderous and evil back in 1931, we’re still thinking about that. We’ve got to get over that.”
Hank Aaron, a son of the Deep South who soared above its poverty and racism to become one of the most consequential figures in American history, died Friday January 22 at age 86.
No cause of death was cited in the article.
The irony is thick in this story. Poor guy was out to help and seems to have been fatally betrayed.
https://www.mlb.com/news/hank-aaron-covid-19-vaccination