Last week, LeBron James‘ Los Angeles-area home was vandalized with a racial slur. Now, one Northeast Ohio middle school teacher is making an effort to let the King know just how much he means to his fans and community.
Jennifer Pennington, an English and language arts teacher for Akron Public Schools, created supportive signs and placed them outside James’ residence in Bath Township, Ohio.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Pennington crafted three double-sided white placards, with the phrases “Hero,” “Role Model,” “Mentor,” “Humanitarian,” “Leader,” and “Good Samaritan” written in big block letters. Pennington strategically placed the placards roughly 10 yards apart, directly across the street from James’ home.
“My heart broke when I saw the N-word posted on (his gate in Los Angeles),” Pennington told ESPN in a phone interview on Sunday. “Because that shouldn’t be a word to describe anybody.”
Pennington, who spent $20 for supplies and materials, said it was the right thing to do.
“It just seemed like the right thing to do to combat the evil, combat the hate in the world,” Pennington said. “The first thing that came to mind was, ‘Hero.’
“I could have made a ton of signs, but I thought I just wanted to do a few just to get the message out.”
As it turns out, Pennington’s mother, Edie Bowers, was actually James’ kindergarten teacher. And believe it not, Bowers named James her student of the month in January of 1991.
In her closing statement, Pennington gave credit to James for being an inspiration to so many people.
“I think LeBron is an inspiration to people,” Pennington said. “Nobody in this world is perfect, but he is doing remarkable things. He is amazing. As someone who has the resources that he has, he holds his head up high. As a young kid, we watched him grow up, and the spotlight hit him and he handled himself with grace. I have a new baby girl; if my baby girl has the same characteristics and qualities that LeBron does, then I’ll be a happy mom that I raised someone good.”