Yawkey Foundation upset late Red Sox owner is in middle of racial controversy

The Yawkey Foundation said it is disheartened that Thomas Yawkey, its founder and the late former owner of the Boston Red Sox, has been thrust into the racial controversy permeating the country.

Current Red Sox owner John Henry said Thursday he wants the name of the street in front of Fenway Park to be changed from Yawkey Way because he is “haunted” by the late former owner’s legacy of racism, but the Foundation takes exception to that characterization of its namesake.

"Jean and Tom Yawkey's philanthropy has always been color blind," the Yawkey Foundation said in a statement, per ESPN.com . "Their extraordinary generosity has made a significant impact on Massachusetts and the Greater Boston community, contributing more than $450 million to hundreds of non-profit organizations and helping improve the lives of thousands of disadvantaged children of all backgrounds. We are honored to have the Yawkey name on so many organizations and institutions that benefit Bostonians of all races – and disheartened by any effort to embroil the Yawkeys in today's political controversy."

In an email to the Boston Herald , Henry acknowledged some of what the Foundation said, but said much of the work came after Thomas Yawkey's death.

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“The sale of the Red Sox by John Harrington (in 2002 on behalf of the Yawkey Trust) helped to fund a number of very good works in the city done by the Yawkey Foundation (we had no control over where any monies were spent),” Henry wrote. “The Yawkey Foundation has done a lot of great things over the years that have nothing to do with our history.”

Also, Henry said the previous Boston mayoral administration “did not want to open what they saw as a can of worms” by changing the name of Yawkey Way, but current Mayor Marty Walsh’s office told the Herald that Walsh supports Henry’s desire to do so.