The New Hartford Central School District in upstate New York is under investigation after racist photos comparing NBA champion LeBron James to a monkey were shown at an art exhibit.

On May 4, the district hosted an art show, and at the middle of the scandal was a display, apparently by a middle school student, promoting a fictitious brand of breakfast cereal called “Monkey Premium.” The cereal was attached to a photograph of James in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform together with the words: “Eat monkeys, jump like monkeys!”

The piece looked prefer it was a part of a student project. The bogus ad also claimed that drinking chocolate banana flakes would make someone “jump 2-5 inches higher for approximately 2 hours after eating.”

The district superintendent confirmed that the administration has launched an investigation into how the project was approved for display on the event.

“It is disheartening that racist works were not only created, but then overlooked and allowed to be displayed.” Cosimo Tangorra, director of colleges, – wrote in the statement.

As racist images spread across social media, some users reacted to the offensive display.

“This is how I prefer my racism…blatantly,” one user wrote on X.

Another person referenced the March 2008 issue of Vogue, in which James appeared on the quilt alongside Gisele Bündchen.

“It reminds me of the time he was on the cover of a fashion magazine with a model and the magazine made him look like King Kong” – person he wrote.

James was photographed putting his arm around Bündchen and dribbling a basketball together with his other hand. James, who was 24 on the time, was dressed in sportswear, while the Brazilian model wore a form-fitting dress. James’ muscles tensed and his tattoos were visible when he bared his teeth. Bündchen, on the opposite hand, simply smiled as she struck a pose.

James did grow to be the primary black American to look on the quilt of the distinguished magazine, but Vogue also faced criticism for “perpetuating racial stereotypes.” Some argued that the publication intentionally portrayed James as a dangerous or aggressive black man who might be perceived as eloping with a white woman.

Tangorra also described the incident in the school’s gymnasium during a district-wide art exhibition as a “teachable moment” for all involved.

“The student involved has been contacted, but due to student privacy, we cannot disclose specific information about the student or whether disciplinary consequences were incurred,” the superintendent continued. “Administrators have also spoken with staff responsible for overseeing the artwork, and we are using this moment as an opportunity to teach.”

While it’s unclear whether the coed in query intended to be racist, America has a checkered history of falsely and inappropriately comparing black people to apes. Race remains certainly one of society’s complex issues, and as its understanding changes, so must “our understanding of equality in the context of systemic racism we see in different cases.

I’m a fan of Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Dot. I believe his cultural curation through his podcast (“Questlove Supreme”), documentaries (“Summer of Soul” and the upcoming documentary “Soul Train”), books and musical direction of award shows are essential and make him an important part of hip-hop and black culture.

With that said, and at the chance of never being a guest on “Questlove Supreme” – which, by the way in which, makes me very sad – his latest take states that “hip-hop is truly dead” attributable to the direction of the recording being the Kendrick Lamar dispute and Drake are truly silly, pointlessly short-sighted, and revisionist in a way that should impress even Malcolm Gladwell.

IN latest post on Instagram during which he needed to turn off comments because he was figuratively murdered, Questlove has this to say in regards to the feud between the aforementioned hip-hop top dogs (no pun intended):

Le sigh and IKYFL at the identical time.

I do know this is not the identical Questlove who played drums for Jay-Z “Take over” from the live album “MTV Unplugged” released in November 2001. Maybe it isn’t Michelle Leslie Brown from 225th Street playing soccer within the park… it’s Michelle Leslie Brown from 225th Street playing soccer within the park. Hell, throughout the live recording of the part where Jay-Z mocks Mobb Deep’s Prodigy, they even played clips of “Shook Ones Vol. II.” And then, as the Nas verse faded away, they played “Oochie Wally” and “NY State of Mind.” I’m sure social media identified to him ad nauseum that he was an energetic participant within the beef, but I mean how does everyone have a problem NOW when he was PART of the issue in 2001? Every week later, Nas released “Ether,” which was as big a buzz as there might have been on the time. Actual? Eh. Banger? Absolutely.

Everyone involved in rap revolves around facts. Do we all know needless to say that Tupac slept with Faith Evans, Biggie’s estranged wife? According to MOST people on the time, no. But he said it and that’s why “Hit ’em” is one of essentially the most scathing diss records of all time. Perhaps Questlove shared his disappointment with the album (which many individuals felt went too far, but in addition think was the largest diss track of all time) or a small step down, Ice Cube’s “No Vaseline” (which many say is a candidate for the best diss track of all time), but I’d be surprised. “No Vaseline” is definitely an album that could have killed someone; the number of street people involved on this mess is astounding. Besides, it would not make sense because he played drums again on Jay-Z’s most iconic album in 2001. Deliberately. AFTER each Notorious BIG and Tupac were murdered because the beef had gone too far. It’s not like he didn’t know what songs can be played.

Just for the record, Nas is the principal character for this yr’s Roots Picnic, which can take place on June 1-2 in Philadelphia. The organizer and curator of the Roots Picnic is The Roots. Questlove and Black Thought are… Roots. By the way in which, I’ll be there. Because hip-hop.

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Then there’s the entire aspect of what he does NOT find disturbing. Drake and many other rappers JOKED that Megan Thee Stallion was shot within the video and called her a liar, despite the fact that we all know she was shot AND there is a verdict within the case. As far as I do know, he didn’t call there and say, “Enough!” This is only one example, however it’s quite telling, right? There has been a huge amount of diss records, diss posts from hip hop artists, and every kind of violence that has turned the hip hop community the other way up, which I’m sure Questlove respects, and it could possibly be regarded as going too far, but Drake and Kendrick’s beef Is this the moment hip-hop really died? Come on, brother.

Are innocent women and children dirty work? Yes, absolutely yes. Is this the primary time this has happened? Absolutely not. This is how hip-hop beef has all the time worked. Things all the time went “too far.” Misogyny, low blows. In fact, throughout the break “Message for BA”, which precedes the Ice Cube diss album “Real Niggas” from NWA’s album “EFIL4ZAGGIN” begin talking about raping Ice Cube with a broom.

I’m not suggesting that any of this is okay; but when mudslinging and wrestling match-level knockdowns aren’t hip-hop, then hip-hop died DECADES ago. I highly doubt Questlove would take it that way.

I do not see any significant difference, at the very least on the artist side, in the extent of vitriol that existed between Jay-Z and Nas in 2001. The only difference is the degree of fan involvement within the discourse. Does the audience want blood? Eh. I do not think anyone wants this to finish on the Tupac and Biggie bandwagon. Do people want their guy to win in any respect costs? Of course. People select sides and want their sides to win. But if that killed hip-hop, then hip-hop has been dead for many years.

Interestingly enough, I believe we got some of the very best raps from Drake on this battle, but they each took it into gossipy and evidence-free territory (to date) and THIS happened when Pusha T modified the diss game with “Adidon’s Story”. I’m wondering if Questlove felt like hip-hop was dead that day. I doubt it.

Perhaps Questlove is attending to the purpose where he has seen an excessive amount of as an elder statesman and thinks the beef is pointless. Maybe. Or perhaps he forgot that this art form to which he contributed a lot has all the time been this fashion, but now all of the conversations we needed to have in person are on social media. Does this modification it? Not to me. It’s all hip-hop. If you wish to argue that hip-hop is now and all the time has been problematic, especially for girls, then of course, let’s talk.

But THIS beef absolutely didn’t kill hip-hop anymore like The Roots being the support band on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” did – there was a time when THIS can be seen as just a sell-out move and definitely not hip-hop bullshit. Was it dead then?

In each cases, perhaps we just never thought hip-hop would go this far. Once again, I’m a fan of Questlove and I really like hearing how detailed his knowledge of music and hip-hop is. I learned a lot from listening to his podcast about artists I really like and people I do not even know who’ve influenced my life. But this approach is really bad, especially his execution.

Comedian Gary Owen has been called out for continuing to speak about his ex-wife, Kenya Duke, and their three children who’ve chosen to not contact him.

Last week on his YouTube show “Get Some,” he reported that he had recently seen Duke and warned her about his appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay.”

Duke hoped he would pass up the opportunity, but he didn’t. Owen revealed shocking details of their divorce, lack of relationship with their children and the fallout he has faced since their public split.

Now Duke speaks up.

Owen’s ex-wife posted on her Instagram and he wrote, “@garyowencomedy it has been 3 years. I’m at all times nice and cool to you. I purposely never make it awkward. I never disturb you.

Adding: “I actually have given you my suggestions about the situation, but you don’t respect their boundaries. That’s why you brought it up again on social media. I do not know what else I can do to enable you. I at all times wish you well.

She also posted a note that read: “In my development, I no longer feel the need to address untruths. The grace and kindness I have shown you is a space to tell lies and false narratives to gain sympathy and attention without correction. You are a great storyteller… sometimes I get sucked into your versions,” and she tagged her ex-husband.

Duke’s response was met with support and criticism. One person said: “I come from a black woman in Kenya. I’ve seen us do that to men one million times until you were honest about the role you played in it and talked bad about your child’s father. It won’t ever recover, you could have to come clean with your part in it.

In response, Duke replied, “Hey, where do you get this? I never spoke ill of their father. I encourage you to contact me. Their relationship with Gary is separate from my relationship with Gary. So what are you talking about?”

One of the stories he told Sharpe was about his father, Gary Owen Sr. Owen said his dad was so offended with him that he fed his ex-wife “filth” during their divorce and took her side. Duke took issue with such stories regarding her and her children.

Another story he told was how he filed for divorce from his ex-wife and that she demanded $44,000 in monthly alimony from him for a yr. Although he stated that he didn’t need to comply with this request, he stated that he would take over all the debt they owed as a family and pay her rent for the first yr after the divorce.

“But it made me appear to be a player. I won’t lie.” –@garyowencomedy

🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/zt4WhXG0LQ

— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) May 8, 2024

“After the divorce, I took on all the debt. I took it all and it was a lot. I didn’t like being dragged along, saying I was a crap dad,” Duke repeated many times. “And then it was like I left everyone hanging.”

“It wasn’t an accident,” he continued. “I got a text message. I just literally said, “Hey, send me the bills.” I understand,’ and she said, ‘No, that is not how we do it.’

However, based on Owen, Duke didn’t need to move out of their marital home, regardless that it could pose tax problems.

“I made sure that when it was all said and done, after we went to mediation, I believed I might assume the debt. I’ll be sure that you could have enough alimony to be good. By the way, you are really good.

Owen said he also agreed to pay Duke the first yr’s rent once she got her recent apartment, and they agreed on a set amount.

“I just want to stay calm and I want everyone to feel comfortable. I’m not vindictive, I’m not angry, I understand,” he told Sharpe. “It’s love and war. But I think I was very generous in the divorce.”

This is not the first time Duke has spoken out about the comedian. Although she is never lively on social media, she wrote on Instagram in 2023 that she was attempting to get her children to speak with him, but he had broken off relations with them.

“You hit the Internet with a video of the result, but not the cause. I just don’t understand the way it helped anything. At this point I do not know what to imagine or how one can deal with you,” she said.

According to Duke, the “Think Like a Man” actor had an affair and allegedly had relationships with prostitutes, which ultimately led to a divorce. Once she spoke, she also mentioned why they weren’t together. She said Owen neglected his parental responsibilities and took a vacation with nurse Brianna Johnson.

Owen hasn’t responded to her post, but he continues to advertise his “Club Shay Shay” interview on his social media pages.