In a tribute to legendary basketball star Bill Russell, President Obama said on Tuesday that he hopes that the city of Boston will erect a statue Russell to reconcile what Russell went through regarding racial strife.
Obama was awarding Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Russell’s legacy as an “unyielding crusader for civil rights” and that he had a complicated and often bitter relationship with the city of Boston to which Russell had brought 11 championship titles.
Obama is quoted as saying that, “I hope the one day in the streets of Boston children will look up at a statue build not only to Bill Russell the player, but Bill Russell the man.”
In Obama’s remarks from the White House about Russell he detailed many of the racial incidents Russell suffered from even though he was a champion. He also focused on Russell’s civil rights activism where he endured many hardships to uphold civil rights of all people.
Obama also mentioned Russell’s legacy to help other players do better and achieved their goals.
