Two years after his death, Henry Aaron was flung into Florida’s culture wars.
The iconic baseball player is the subject of a children’s book that recently became a rallying cry on social media over the claim it was “banned” by Duval County Public Schools. In reality, Matt Tavares’ 2011 book, "Henry Aaron’s Dream," was one that the school district recently approved after a lengthy review to ensure all books comply with new state laws restricting how schools teach on topics of race, gender and sexuality. That review continues for all 1.6 million of the district’s titles.
Alongside Aaron, scores of Black players, including James Weldon Johnson, played at the facility that was recently renamed Henry L. Aaron Field at J.P. Small Memorial Stadium. However, Black interest and participation in the game has waned locally over the decades amid the cultural rise of football and basketball — something that local Black baseball evangelists are trying to reverse.
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