Lebron James’ fans started a petition to replace Betsy DeVos as education secretary after the NBA star started a school in the neighborhood where he grew up in Akron Ohio. Thousands of people have signed the petition and the document may be sent to President Trump.
Sections of the petition read:
“Unfortunately, Trump and his cronies chose Betsy DeVos for us and we are stuck with an uncaring Education Chief who has fought against teachers and has even expressed disdain for the very department she heads … at least until now.”
“LeBron James is an inspiration to kids all over the country. He’s shown he cares about America’s youth and understands the power of public education in helping children meet their true potential.”
After the opening day of James’ “I Promise” school, he issued the following statement:
“This school is so important to me because our vision is to create a place for the kids in Akron who need it most – those that could fall through the cracks if we don’t do something. We’ve learned over the years what works and what motivates them, and now we can bring all of that together in one place along with the right resources and experts. If we get to them early enough, we can hopefully keep them on the right track to a bigger and brighter future for themselves and their families.”
There is no doubt that James’ main focus has been on improving the education of inner-city youth.
President Trump bashed the petition and James. After James appeared on CNN with Don Lemon, Trump tweeted the Lemon “made LeBron look smart, which isn’t easy to do”. James has previously stated that he believes Trump is using sports to divide the country regarding his stance on the NFL protests.
So far 12,000 people have signed the petition and it is still unclear if Trump will view and comment on the document specifically.
