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Oprah Winfrey and LeBron James lead star-studded graduation ceremonies this weekend

Oprah Winfrey will be the commencement speaker for today's "#Graduation2020: Facebook and Instagram Celebrate the Class of 2020."
(Matt Sayles / Associated Press)
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Although traditional graduation ceremonies were canceled nationwide due to the coronavirus crisis, some entertainment luminaries are here to throw epic virtual ones for the class of 2020.

Today Facebook and Instagram will host a streaming event to celebrate this year’s graduating college and high school seniors as well as the teachers and parents who made their achievement possible.

After coronavirus crisis shuttered schools, high school shows were canceled. For many performing arts students, it feels like a blow to their future.

May 10, 2020

The “#Graduation2020: Facebook and Instagram Celebrate the Class of 2020” livestream will feature Oprah Winfrey as the commencement speaker and include messages from Awkwafina, Jennifer Garner, Lil Nas X and Simone Biles, among others. Miley Cyrus is slated to perform her song “The Climb” during the virtual graduation.

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Cohosted by actors and “The Office” castmates Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak, the event also will feature Selena Gomez, Cardi B, Amy Schumer, Daddy Yankee, Kristen Bell, Luke Bryan, Sterling K. Brown, Marlee Matlin and many others.

You can tune in to “#Graduation2020” at 11 a.m. Pacific today through Facebook Watch on the Facebook App. Parts of the event also will be posted on the official @Instagram account.

On Saturday, the LeBron James Family Foundation is throwing seniors another virtual graduation bash.

The Los Angeles Lakers star drafted Bad Bunny, Pharrell Williams, the Jonas Brothers, Chika, YBN Cordae, H.E.R., Ben Platt, Megan Rapinoe, Yara Shahidi, Lena Waithe and Malala Yousafzai for the hourlong special “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020.”

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The commercial-free, multimedia event will feature a collection of vignettes, commencement speeches and celebrity performances. Local TV stations also will feature shout-outs to high school students in their communities. And it’s still not too late to share your high school senior portrait to artist JR’s virtual yearbook.

In partnership with DonorsChoose and America’s Food Fund, the virtual event will benefit children, teens and their families in underserved communities who have been most impacted by school closures due to the pandemic.

“Graduate Together” will air simultaneously at 8 p.m. Pacific on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and the streaming platforms Complex Networks, Facebook app, Instagram, People TV, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.

Pre-pandemic, aspiring pro singer Estefani Lopez commuted three hours to attend her performing arts high. The day prom was canceled everything changed

May 10, 2020

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