LeBron James to honor 2020 class with ‘Graduate Together’ TV special

The Lakers superstar will help high school seniors celebrate graduation.

Apr 30, 2020

Lebron James theGrio.com — LeBron James (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

LeBron James is coming through for high school seniors who have had their graduation plans disrupted because of the novel coronavirus.

It was announced Wednesday that The LeBron James Family Foundation, XQ Institute and The Entertainment Industry Foundation will put together 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. EDT.

It will also be broadcast digitally on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Complex Networks, PeopleTV, and other platforms.

“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.”

James, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas Brothers, Bad Bunny, Yara Shahidi, Ben Platt, Lena Waithe, and H.E.R. will all be making appearances. Megan Rapinoe, YBN Cordae, Chika, Charli D’Amelio, Dixie D’Amelio, Loren Gray, Brandan “Bmike” Odums, Henry Platt and Jonah Platt have also been confirmed to participate. The event was curated by high school students and educators.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is not the only celebrity supporting the graduating class. Earlier in the week, Oprah Winfrey was tapped by Facebook to deliver a special commencement address to the graduates of 2020.

The media mogul will speak to the students virtually at the #Graduation2020: Facebook and Instagram Celebrate the Class of 2020 event on May 15. Winfrey will be joined by a slew of Hollywood A-listers, including Simone Biles, Lil Nas X, Jennifer Garner, and Miley Cyrus, who will perform her single, “The Climb.”

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