Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coin Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6751, the Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coin Act, sponsored by Representative Espaillat.

This bill honors the life and legacy of Roberto Clemente, who is renowned not just for being an exceptional baseball player but also for being an Afro-Puerto Rican cultural icon and human rights activist. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill.

When Clemente started his major league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955, he encountered Jim Crow laws that forced Black players to stay at separate, inferior hotels and refused them the option to dine with their White teammates.

When he reported to spring training for the first time, Black players had to wait on the bus for their White teammates to bring them food from restaurants after games. Clemente despised the routine and threatened to fight Black players who took the food, and he later requested separate transportation. The Pirates eventually provided a station wagon for the Black players.

In late 1972, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Managua, Nicaragua, killing 5,000 people. In response, Roberto Clemente sent shipments of humanitarian aid to the country. After learning that three previous shipments had been diverted by corrupt government officials, Clemente decided to accompany one of the aid shipments.

During this trip, however, Roberto Clemente tragically died in a plane crash. This commemorative coin would ensure that Clemente's selflessness would never be forgotten.

Roberto Clemente has been recognized for his achievements as a baseball player, a humanitarian activist, and a symbol of Latin American pride. This commemorative coin bill would continue to recognize his life and legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. De La CRUZ.

This bill will direct the U.S. Mint to create a commemorative coin to honor the life and legacy of Roberto Clemente, a baseball player and human rights activist, with proceeds going to the Roberto Clemente Foundation.

He used his platform as a baseball player to push for equal rights in sports and has become a symbol of Afro-Puerto Rican pride. I am proud to cosponsor this bill.

I thank Representative Espaillat for his work on this important bill, and I again urge my colleagues to support this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. De La CRUZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6751, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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