Over the weekend, a junior high school art show in New Hartford featured an allegedly racist art piece featuring LeBron James.

A racist artwork on display at the district’s annual student art show has several parents and community members in stitches during an art show at New Hartford Central School.
It is thought that the artwork in question was produced by a middle school student. It appears to be a parody of advertisements with a picture of NBA superstar Lebron James slamming a basketball and a fictitious cereal brand named “Monkey Premium Cereal.”

“If you eat Monkey Premium cereal, you can jump high and dunk like Lebron James,” the advertisement’s message stated.


Fans took to social media livid over this situation:


For those that may not be aware, comparing African Americans to monkeys has been considered inappropriate and racist. This goes all the way back to the days of slavery.

Local radio station WIBX reached out to Superintendent Tangorr to get a statement. He revealed that the school board had already opened an investigation into the incident. On Monday, Tangorra released a statement that seemed critical of his own school district for allowing the piece to be displayed as part of the art show involving LeBron.

“The student involved has been contacted, but due to student privacy, we cannot divulge specific details regarding the student and whether or not there were disciplinary consequences in accordance with the Code of Conduct.”

Tangorra added that the focus of the investigation also involved the teachers and staff who allowed the art piece to be displayed.

 

“Administrators have also spoken with staff members responsible for the oversight of the artwork, and we are using this as a teachable moment,” he said.

LeBron James Opens I Promise School In 2018


In 2018, basketball superstar LeBron James opened the I Promise School (IPS) in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

During the school’s inaugural year, it welcomed 240 students in the third and fourth grades. The original plan was to add students and grade levels each year so that the school would serve students in grades 1–8 by 2022.

The mission of the I Promise School, according to their website, is to help “those students who are already falling behind and in danger of falling through the cracks.”

The I Promise School is considered a public school, but it still operates in partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation. The school receives local, state, and federal funding identical to that of any other public school.