‘Dear Culture’ podcast remembers Kobe Bryant one year after his death

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Fresh off of the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Black history is at the forefront of 2021. The beginning of this year also marks the one-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant‘s passing.

It’s with this news in mind that the Dear Culture podcast, hosted by Shana Pinnock and Gerren Keith Gaynor, take a moment to look back at the legacy of Bryant, with love and wishes to his family and friends. We’re asking the heartfelt question: “Dear Culture, was the loss of Kobe and Gianna Bryant, preparing us for the tragic surprises 2020 would bring us?”

Read More: Vanessa Bryant speaks on grief as 1st anniversary of Kobe’s death approaches

“I want people to think of me when I leave this earth, to say ‘he inspired me to be a better person.’ We all do that in our own ways. Kobe did it through sports and as a public figure, father and husband. Gianna did that, even in her short life, as an athlete.” remarks Gaynor to Pinnock.

The passing of Kobe, Gianna, and seven others in January 2020 came as a global shock. For many people, Kobe and Gianna’s passing was the beginning of many lives lost in 2020, Gaynor notes. “With so many deaths [from COVID-19] that came after Kobe,” many of us didn’t get the chance to grieve for the super athlete and his daughter, the host adds. For Pinnock, “it was one thing after the other,” making her think “God if you’re ready to take us, just take us” because the tragedies have reached a breaking point. 

“I don’t think I’ve cried that hard for someone I didn’t know except Whitney [Houston],” says Pinnock.

READ MORE: What Kobe Bryant’s death has taught me about how Black men mourn.

Kobe’s daughter, the little “Mambacita,” made “such an impression” with the life span she had. Gaynor tears up while remarking that not only did we lose a legend, but the lives of children were lost that day. If Kobe and Gianna have taught us anything from their passing, it’s is that regardless of how short or long, inspiring people is a major element to what we leave behind. 

Tune in Dear Culture, the smart, reliable Black news podcast. Now streaming on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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