People Are Keeping Kobe Bryant Murals Safe

During his lifetime, NBA-great Kobe Bryant’s influence extended well beyond the basketball court. The shooting guard uses his success and privilege to score wins for the Black community and help children of color to pursue their own dreams. When the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in 2016, Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, became one of the museum’s founding donors. At the time, Bryant tweeted “Go. See this. Museum. There is no greater testament to this country than the stories in this building.” The Black community has also shown up for Bryant: supporting him at games and through his charities.

Earlier this week, Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, shared her support for the Black Lives Matter movement with an image of Kobe in an “I Can’t Breathe” shirt which he wore in 2014 to honor Eric Garner.

So it’s no wonder, that amidst the protests and riots that broke out across the country in reaction to the brutal killing of George Floyd that fans made sure to protect their neighborhood murals of him.

In a series of photos posted to her Instagram, Vanessa Bryant thanked protesters for honoring his memory during the riots and protests.

In a series of pictures posted to her Instagram page, Vanessa Bryant shared footage of murals being saved in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles.

Vanessa’s Instagram story included other photos of murals that have been saved by his fans.

She also shared a tweet that expressed “They know Kobe is off-limits.”

Bryant’s murals have been a beam of light in the communities that devotedly supported Bryant during his life and after. Here’s hoping the fight of the protestors and activists who kept them safe, achieve what we want for the whole world soon enough.