Oprah, Awkwafina and Miley Cyrus sign on for Facebook’s class of 2020 virtual graduation
The class of 2020 will not be able to experience the pomp and circumstance of a traditional graduation ceremony, so Facebook wants to help.
On Tuesday, Facebook and Instagram announced plans to celebrate this year’s graduating class with a streaming event on May 15, featuring Oprah Winfrey as the commencement speaker.
The “#Graduation2020: Facebook and Instagram Celebrate the Class of 2020” broadcast will also include messages from Awkwafina, Jennifer Garner, Lil Nas X and Simone Biles, among others.
Miley Cyrus is also slated to perform her song “The Climb” during the virtual graduation.
As schools remain shut down due to the coronavirus crisis, students have had to navigate new routines that include distance learning and online Advance Placement tests, among other uncertainties, while being forced to forgo standard milestones such as prom and graduation ceremonies. (Students who missed prom still have time to “attend” The Times’ online event.)
For his latest “Some Good News” trick, John Krasinski is inviting high school students who lost their prom to coronavirus to a virtual dance party.
Facebook also announced a week’s worth of graduation-related programming leading up to its May 15 event, including spotlights on traditional senior experiences such as superlatives and skip day on Instagram, new stickers and themes for Facebook and Instagram stories and resources for those looking to host their own graduation events through Facebook’s Room feature.
“#Graduation2020” will be available to view through Facebook Watch on the Facebook App page in its entirety. Individual segments will also be posted on the official @Instagram account.
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
