Clemente's life and legacy to be remembered at Hispanic Heritage Awards

Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente will be posthumously honored at the 37th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards on Sept. 5, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation announced on Thursday.

Clemente, who played 18 seasons for the Pirates and dedicated much of his life to humanitarian and philanthropic work, is the first posthumous honoree in the history of the awards. The ceremony will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Opera House, and will be broadcast on PBS on Sept. 27 at 10 p.m. ET.

“Roberto Clemente was my childhood and forever my hero, so this is a special moment for me and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation,” said Antonio Tijerino, HHF president and CEO, in a statement. “We look forward to highlighting not just Clemente’s impact on baseball but his impact as a humanitarian and civil rights leader. His legacy continues through the work of his sons and the Roberto Clemente Foundation.”

Clemente is one of several honorees who will be recognized at the ceremony. Other announced recipients include designer Carolina Herrera, Beautyblender creator Rea Ann Silva and NBA legend Carmelo Anthony.

Clemente made history as the first Latin American player to compile 3,000 hits in MLB history. His posthumous induction into the Hall of Fame in 1973 marked him as the first Caribbean and Latin-American player to receive this honor. Also in 1973, the Commissioner’s Award was renamed the Roberto Clemente Award, an honor given annually during the World Series to a player who demonstrates exceptional baseball skills and active participation in community service.

“Receiving this award in honor of Roberto Clemente is not just a recognition of his achievements, but a reminder of the impact one individual can have on the world. Our father’s legacy as an athlete, humanitarian, and civil rights leader inspires us to continue striving for excellence for all that we do. We are humbled and grateful to be with such a remarkable list past and future honorees," Roberto Clemente Jr. said in a statement.

Clemente’s Hall of Fame career began with the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League when he was 17. He went on to play 18 seasons in the big leagues, all with Pittsburgh, where he won 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards. Clemente was also a 15-time All-Star, won four NL batting titles and was named World Series MVP after the Pirates won it all in 1971.

Clemente tragically was killed in an airplane crash on Dec. 31, 1972, while flying from his native Puerto Rico to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

Clemente’s humanitarian legacy has been honored world-wide for more than a half-century, and his contributions to baseball have been recognized multiple times over the years. He was elected to the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. He was also inducted into the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. In addition to his baseball accolades, Clemente has been honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Hispanic Heritage Awards serve as a launch of HHF’s year-round mission, focused on education, workforce, social impact and culture through the lens of leadership. HHF is a national nonprofit organization. For more information, visit www.hispanicheritage.org and follow the Hispanic Heritage Foundation on Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok. The HHF podcast Fritanga is available on streaming services on the HHF YouTube channel.