; Whereas it is reported that many people mocked Clemente’s heavy Latin accent, quoting him with phonetic spelling rather than merely reporting what he said; Whereas Clemente insisted on being called Roberto in an effort to combat oppression and forced American assimilation by reporters and other members of the public who repeatedly referred to him as Bob ; Whereas Clemente was known for being a proud Afro-Latino and protested the discrimination that Latin and Black ball players encountered; Whereas Clemente was known for defending the rights of Black and Brown people, both on the field and in the streets; Whereas, after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968, Clemente and his teammates refused to play until after the funerals and even wrote a public statement showing their respect for Dr. King; Whereas Clemente became a union leader in the incipient Major League Baseball Players Association and defended players’ rights to demand better working conditions and benefits; Whereas in every city where the Pirates played, Clemente visited sick children in hospitals; Whereas Clemente put his heart and soul into training clinics, providing baseball lessons and fun for boys and girls in Pittsburgh, his home island of Puerto Rico, and throughout Latin America; Whereas, while participating in one such clinic in Nicaragua, he developed a particularly close bond with the youth in that Central American country; Whereas, in 1958, Clemente enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve after the 1958 season and spent six months on active duty at Parris Island, South Carolina, and Camp LeJeune, North Carolina; Whereas Clemente served until 1964 and was inducted into the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2003; Whereas, in 1960, Clemente hit his stride, batting .314 with 16 home runs and 94 RBIs to earn his first All-Star berth and help the Pirates upset the Yankees in the World Series