15-year-old Zaevion Dobson was a hero. He died on December 17, 2015 in Knoxville, Tennessee while shielding fellow classmates from gunfire. The girls he protected left the scene that day unharmed.
Dobson will be the youngest person in history to win the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS this year. President Barack Obama honored Zaevion’s actions last year on Twitter.
Zaevion Dobson died saving three friends from getting shot. He was a hero at 15. What’s our excuse for not acting? https://t.co/hn98uGsjKZ
— President Obama (@POTUS) December 20, 2015
Police were reported saying that he and his friends were caught in a wrong place, wrong time scenario. Some men believed to be involved in an earlier altercation involving gunfire drove through Dobson’s neighborhood looking to retaliate.
The Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero said, “He was really one of our success stories.” His Zenobia Dobson said, “I’m just so honored to be his mother. I will always love him in my heart, but since his passing, I love him even more. I draw closer to him every day. I visit him at the cemetery every day, and I just talk to him every day, every single day.”
The Arthur Ashe Courage Award has been given out annually since 1993 recognizing individuals that dedicate their lives to doing good, like Ashe who was very passionate about human rights advocacy.
Previous winners of the award include legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, former UNC men’s basketball coach Dean Smith, former Tennesee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner, the four passengers of Flight 93 who helped prevent one of the 9/11 hijackings and more.
The ESPYs will air in July.
