Local teacher placed supportive signs outside LeBron James' Ohio home in response to racist vandalism of his LA residence
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images
After the incident, LeBron responded with a powerful message that served as another important continuation of the ongoing national conversation on race.
Now a teacher in Ohio has come forward with the perfect response to the grafiti to make sure that the Cavaliers star player knew that his local community stood with him.
Jennifer Pennington, a middle school teacher in Akron, decided to place several signs of her own outside of James' Ohio home. The double-sided signs read out, "Hero," "Role Model," "Mentor," "Humanitarian," "Leader," and "Good Samaritan," all descriptors Pennington felt described James and his role in the Akron community.
Speaking with ESPN about her project, Pennington said, "My heart broke when I saw the N-word posted on [his gate in Los Angeles]. Because that shouldn't be a word to describe anybody." When asked about her decision to set up the signs Pennington continued, "It just seemed like the right thing to do to combat the evil, combat the hate in the world. The first thing that came to mind was, 'Hero.' I could have made ton of signs, but I thought I just wanted to do a few just to get the message out."
It's worth noting that this is not the first time the Pennington family has crossed paths with LeBron James - as ESPN goes on to detail, Pennington taught at a summer camp sponsored by the LeBron James Family Foundation in 2016, and her mother, Edie Bowers, taught James in Kindergarten.
Pennington went on to note that she and the school district she works for have been directly affected by James' generosity, saying "LeBron donates a ton to Akron Public Schools. I get to see firsthand the wonderful things that he's doing for this community."
LeBron James' Ohio home decorated with positive signs by local teacher. https://t.co/LX774d4YEy pic.twitter.com/SMVybiDFlH
- theScore (@theScore) June 5, 2017
- Rupee jumps 9 paise to 83.37 against US dollar in early trade
- Top 10 destinations to visit in India for nature and wildlife lovers in 2024
- People intolerant of other religions are more likely to reject science, study asserts
- 7 reasons why cucumber can be your summer weight loss friend
- 8 refreshing kulfis you must try this summer
- Nothing Phone (2a) blue edition launched
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market