December 29, 2023
Vanessa Bryant Defended After Dr. Umar Says She Doesn’t Use Kobe Bryant’s Money To Support Black Community
Vanessa Bryant was at home minding her business when she turned into a trending topic after getting called out by Dr. Umar.
Vanessa Bryant was at home minding her business when she turned into a trending topic after getting called out by Dr. Umar.
Pan-Afrikan activist Dr. Umar Johnson recently appeared on the “Joe Budden Podcast” where he shared some of his latest arguments about issues impacting the development of the Black community. Among his frequent rants is the topic of interracial dating and Black people dating outside their race.
Known for calling out Black men and women who date outside their race and the issues he feels arise from that, Dr. Umar decided to center his attention on the late Kobe Bryant and his widow Vanessa Bryant. For Umar, he feels as though Vanessa hasn’t used the money she inherited from Kobe’s $600 million estate to help amplify the Black community.
“Kobe Bryant died. Vanessa and inherited his wealth,” Johnson said. “And guess what, is Vanessa Bryant using any of that Black man’s money to do any good in the Black community? Absolutely fu*king not.”
He went on to cite Vanessa’s September announcement of the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation partnering with six college basketball programs with all six being predominantly white institutions: The University of Connecticut, the University of Southern California, the University of Oregon, Duke University, Louisiana State University, and the University of Kentucky.
“Didn’t choose a single HBCU,” Johnson quipped. “With a Black man’s money.”
Dr. Umar accuses Vanessa Bryant of not using Kobe Bryant's money to do good in the black community.
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) December 26, 2023
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Not a stranger to backlash, Dr. Umar came under fire from viewers who felt like he was going too hard on the widow who is close to the four-year anniversary of the day she lost her husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter, Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, in a horrific helicopter crash.
“Leave the woman alone and worry about how you’re spending your money 🤡,” one person wrote.
“Actually this was unnecessary and disrespectful take,” added someone else.
Many cited the work Vanessa has done for inner-city youth in the wake of Kobe and Gigi’s passing.
“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,” one person shared.
“There are literally black children in the mamba foundation/ academy 😅 please use your time and energy to avenge actual issues within the black community Vanessa Bryant is not one of them,” added someone else.
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