Willie O’Ree On Track to Receive Congressional Gold Medal
On Thursday (February 25th, 2021), a bill honoring Willie O’Ree, the first black player to play in the NHL, with a Congressional Gold Medal was reintroduced to the United States Congress. U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (Michigan) and Tim Scott (South Carolina) are the ones who reintroduced it. They first presented to Congress back in 2019. But, it wasn’t brought to a vote. However, since a new Congress was sworn in on January 3rd, they were able to reintroduce it.
The bill has received significant bipartisan support. It lauds O’Ree for helping integrate the NHL and for all he has done for hockey and sport in general since. Here’s a notable excerpt from it: “In his role as Diversity Ambassador with the NHL, O’Ree set to grow the sport by providing access, opportunity, and motivation for children of all races, ethnicities, origins, and abilities. Through ‘Hockey is for Everyone’ programs, more than 120,000 boys and girls have been positively impacted. O’Ree has devoted nearly 2,500 days on the ground with the youth participants, visiting more than 500 schools, community centers, and rinks to speak to hockey’s core value and beliefs; stay in school; set goals for yourself; remain committed and disciplined; and always respect your teammates, coaches and parents”.
Will Congress Pass the Bill?
I expect Congress to pass this bill. It is rare that the two parties in Congress agree on anything. But, this is something that should be a no-brainer. In fact, it’d be shocking if it fails. If Congress agreed to award it to Jackie Robinson, they’ll do the same for Willie O’Ree.
What is the Congressional Gold Medal?
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor given by the U.S. Congress. It is awarded to “individuals or groups for distinguished achievements and contributions”. Some of the past recipients of the award include Jackie Robinson, Dr. Martin Lughter King Jr., and George Washington. U.S. citizenship is not a requirement.
The Congressional Gold Medal holds the same level of prestige as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. But, significantly fewer Gold Medals have been awarded. Plus, the Medal of Freedom is only given by the president. Meanwhile, in order for a Congressional Gold Medal to even be considered, two-thirds of both houses of Congress must cosponsor it. Then (and someone please correct me if I’m wrong, I couldn’t confirm if this was correct in my research), the Senate votes on it, and a simple majority is needed to pass.
Notable Statements About Yesterday’s Announcement
Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke earlier today about the news that the bill is back in Congress. Here’s what he had to say: “From his historic debut with the Boston Bruins to his decades of service to create greater opportunities for diverse, young hockey players across America, Willie O’Ree has made remarkable contributions to our sport and to society. The Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act, introduced today with bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate, is a tremendous honor that Willie undoubtedly deserves for his impact on and off the ice”.
When reintroducing the bill, Senator Stabenow had this to say: “As the first Black player in the National Hockey League, Willie O’Ree was a trailblazer for young people across the country. He was not only a trailblazer in the National Hockey League but was also a leader in his community, including the Hockey is for Everyone programs he championed in Detroit. Willie O’Ree set an example for all of us Americans”.
Last but not least, Senator Scott had this to say while reintroducing the bill: “Willie O’Ree broke barriers and paved the way for Black Americans on and off the ice. His example, mentorship, and groundbreaking story epitomizes the American dream, and I look forward to him receiving the Congressional Gold Medal.
This Honor is Long Overdue
This honor is way overdue. After being underappreciated for so long it’s frankly mind-boggling to me, it’s nice to finally see Mr. O’Ree getting some of the recognition he deserves. I’ve written about everything he’s done in the past, so for all the details on his career and philanthropy work, check out this article. But, here’s an overview. We all know that he break the NHL’s color barrier and was the target of unfathomable racism as a result. But, he also became the NHL’s first Diversity Ambassador back in 1988. That’s a role he still holds today. Throughout his time in that role, he has helped establish 39 grassroots hockey programs. Even at 85 years old, he continues to work tirelessly to improve hockey and inspire minority kids to play.
In short, there is no one more deserving of this award right now than Willie O’Ree. Canada rightfully awarded him the Order of Canada back in 2008, which is the second-highest merit honor in Canada (behind the Order of Merit), and even that was still long overdue. So, it’s nice to finally see the United States step up and almost certainly give Mr. O’Ree this incredibly well-deserved (and long overdue) honor.
-Lydia Murray (@lydia_murray12)
Featured image courtesy of Charles Krupa/AP.
Use the Promo code “couchguy20” or “LLP” at Manscaped.com. Grab some of the best tools in men’s below the belt grooming. Furthermore, using the code you’ll get 20% off of your order AND free shipping. Help out the site and help out yourself by buying some products from Manscaped TODAY.