Vanessa Bryant, the wife of late LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, recently came under scrutiny from psychologist and black rights activist Dr. Umar Johnson. This was related to Johnson’s perceived refusal of Vanessa Bryant to use Kobe Bryant’s incredible estate to further the lives of black people. However, a range of fans have responded to defend the Lakers’ icon’s wife.
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User Chris Giddens initially revealed how Vanessa had completely brought forth the transformation of some kids’ basketball courts near his home.
“I lived across the street from a community center in North Philadelphia (predominantly black) where Vanessa Bryant had the courts fully remodeled for the kids in the area. People just be talking to talk,” he said, suggesting that Dr. Umar’s criticism did not have any real basis.
A user Midtown Mike quickly responded to the tweet claiming that Vanessa had also completely donated the settlement that she received as a result of the lawsuit that was filed against Los Angeles County.
“Vanessa Bryant donated the entire $16 million settlement from her to lawsuit to the Mamba and Mambacita foundation dedicated to creating positive impact for underserved athletes and boys & girls in sports,” the user said.
Furthermore, one fan also defended Vanessa Bryant’s decision to file the lawsuit in the first place. Twitter user Gabrielle A. Perry, MPH posted a lengthy explanation revealing how the intent behind the lawsuit was not money in itself, but rather to ensure that the photos of a deceased Kobe and their daughter do not continue making rounds on the internet.
The user claimed that it was in addition to ensuring that all the families of the other victims were taken care of why Vanessa chose to proceed with the lawsuit. The lawsuit had been filed in 2020 as a response to several first responders taking and leaking photographs of the human remains from the helicopter tragedy that resulted in Kobe’s death.
Vanessa was awarded a whopping $29 million, even though it was Kobe’s incredible $600 million estate that she inherited, which brought forth criticism from Dr. Umar Johnson.
Johnson had suggested Bryant’s money had been used to further a range of projects that had nothing to do with African Americans. He claimed that instead of choosing one of the innumerable Historically Black Colleges and Universities, she has chosen to invest the money in ‘white colleges,’ and other general sports initiatives.
However, the claims have not been met well by a range of Vanessa Bryant and Kobe’s fans. A number of social media users fired back on Twitter, revealing stories of the sheer number of ways Kobe Bryant’s estate had continued to work for the Black community since his unfortunate passing as well.
Vanessa Bryant has tirelessly worked to support Kobe Bryant’s charity foundations
Comprehensive evidence suggests that Vanessa Bryant has done nothing but take forward the multiple initiatives established by her late husband. This includes the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation, which constantly strives to work for children in the field of sports, irrespective of their orientation and skin color.
Furthermore, the above foundation only works with sports-related projects, which is not true for The Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. Launched in 2007 as the Vivo Foundation by Kobe himself, Vanessa has ensured that the organization continues to work with children in need, both domestically and globally.
The foundation provides financial resources and develops unique programs and awareness workshops in a bid to enrich communities through educational and cultural opportunities. With the kind of money Vanessa only recently donated to the foundations in question, there is little doubt that the criticism levied against her was unfound, to say the least.
