by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 1, 2020

LeBron James and High School Class of 2020 will ‘Graduate Together’ on May 16th

It looks like “The King” LeBron James gets to graduate again!

The LeBron James Family Foundation, XQ Institute, and The Entertainment Industry Foundation are teaming to produce a one-hour special, Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020. The telecast will air simultaneously on NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox on May 16 at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

The special can also be viewed on leading online entertainment, social media and streaming platform, including Complex Networks, Facebook, PEOPLE, TikTok, and YouTube.

The event will include appearances by James, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas Brothers, Bad Bunny, Yara Shahidi, Ben Platt, Lena Waithe, and H.E.R.

“I wanted to help create a show that looked and felt very different from traditional specials. Something that spoke to kids in a different way. These kids worked so hard to graduate and what is happening to them is truly unfair,” James said in a statement to The Associated Press. “I hope we can give them and their families something cool that makes their accomplishment feel special.”

“It’s been a hard few months for all of us, but I especially really feel for the senior class of 2020,” James said Wednesday in a quote provided to ESPN. “The end of high school and graduation was one of the best memories of my life. It’s not fair. Every graduating senior needs to know how much we feel for them, and hopefully, this can help, even a little. This class is going to be special because they know in a real way how to persevere.”

According to the XQ Institute,  “The #GraduateTogether partners are committed to supporting the needs of students in school and beyond in order to make sure that all students succeed. That means meeting the real-time and long-term needs of our students and graduates. To help meet the needs of vulnerable youth during this time, philanthropic and corporate giving will be directed to:

  • DonorsChoose, a nonprofit which gives public school teachers working in high-needs communities the opportunity to request the materials and resources their students need to keep learning.
  • America’s Food Fund, a nonprofit focused on funding hunger-relief organizations and ensuring students who rely on school-lunch programs still have safe, consistent access to meals during COVID-19.”

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