Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley unveils mural of Roberto Clemente
The previously staid brick wall enclosing the courtyard of the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem is now alive with oranges, pinks, and browns, composed in the likeness of former Puerto Rican baseball star Roberto Clemente.
HCLV’s new mural, titled “De Boriken, al Mundo” (“From Boriken,” the indigenous Taino name for Puerto Rico, “to the World”), is a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Clemente’s death.
Clemente was a right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was a two-time World Series champion. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. He was the first Caribbean player to win a World Series as a starting position player (1960), to receive a National League MVP Award (1966), and to receive a World Series MVP Award (1971). Beyond his athleticism, HCLV wanted to honor Clemente’s life of service.
He died in a plane crash at the age of 38, on his way to deliver supplies to hurricane survivors in Nicaragua. Clemente was a lifelong humanitarian, and lived by the mantra “any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world, and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on Earth.” The phrase is emblazoned on the mural.
HCLV chose him as the subject for the piece mainly for this compassion, in addition to his talent as a sportsman. The center strives to parallel Clemente’s spirit of aid, Olga Negrón, president of HCLV, said.
HCLV funded the mural with donations from Richard and Helen Anderson, Patrick and Diane Bower, Capital Blue Cross, and St. Luke’s University Health Network. Richard Anderson, who first suggested that the mural be commissioned, is a longtime admirer of Clemente’s. He said that one of his prized possessions is a photo of himself and Clemente taken three days before the player’s untimely passing.
The artist behind “De Boriken, al Mundo” is Salina Almanzar-Oree, a Puerto Rican and Dominican visual artist from Lancaster. She conceived each element of the piece with Clemente’s multifaceted life in mind.
The warm colors reflect his humanitarianism; the floral motifs pay homage to his Caribbean roots; the maps of Puerto Rico and Pittsburgh represent the two most influential places in his life; and the blueprint of a Bethlehem steel furnace connects the workers and immigrants of HCLV’s and Clemente’s communities.
“I admire [Clemente] for his dedication to his craft and his sense of dedication and obligation to humanity,” Almanzar-Oree said. “The halo elevates Clemente to a kind of saint, reflecting both on his dedication to helping historically oppressed communities and his record-breaking talent in baseball.”
The mural also features a strip of 23 Latin American flags beneath the rendering of Clemente, which were painted by community members and children in Bethlehem.
Several elected officials attended the event, including Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds. Reynolds lauded Clemente’s ability to make his way in Pittsburgh, a city with scant Latino presence. Reynolds emphasized Bethlehem’s value of multiculturalism and embracing ethnic diversity.
“We’re not a place, we’re not an identity, we’re an idea — the idea that we are home to every culture,” Reynolds said. “I love that when you look at this mural, there are 23 flags at the bottom that are going to stand there for every single kid who walks by.”
The ceremony concluded with a rendition of “Que Bandera Bonita” from a band of HCLV’s seniors.