Barack Obama, Jonas Brothers, Yara Shahidi, Ben Platt, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Zendaya and Olivia Wilde are among those set to participate in the festivities for high-school seniors.
LeBron James put together a special event to celebrate this year's graduates with Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020.
Partnering with Laurene Powell Jobs' XQ Institute and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), the NBA superstar will host a virtual graduation ceremony for the more than 3 million high-school seniors across the U.S.
A number of actors, musicians, athletes and activists have been enlisted to participate in the festivities, including Jonas Brothers, Yara Shahidi, Timothée Chalamet, Kevin Hart, Chris Harrison, Alicia Keys, Julianne Moore, Kumail Nanjiani, Shaquille O'Neal, Ben Platt, Lena Waithe, Megan Rapinoe, Pharrell Williams, Bad Bunny, Malala Yousafzai, Chika, YBN Cordae, Loren Gray, H.E.R., Brandan Bmike Odums, TikTok-ers Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, Zendaya, Olivia Wilde, Liza Koshy, National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson, Lana Condor, Maren Morris, Karol G, Kane Brown, David Dobrik and the Dolan Twins.
Former President Barack Obama will deliver a commencement address while being accompanied by high-school students that are part of the Obama Foundation's work.
The one-hour special will air simultaneously across all broadcast platforms — ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC — and on entertainment, social media and streaming platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, PeopleTV and Complex Networks. The show is produced by Done + Dusted and James' SpringHill Entertainment.
The broadcast, which is commercial-free, will consist of commencement addresses, celebrity performances and inspirational vignettes. High-school students and educators around the country will curate the event with the help of the American Federation of Teachers. Additionally, students, teachers and families were invited to submit their own videos and photos online to be included in the telecast.
Additionally, Graduate Together has partnered with DonorsChoose and America’s Food Fund in an effort led by EIF, XQ Institute and The LeBron James Family Foundation and its I PROMISE School. DonorsChoose provides teachers working in high-need communities the opportunity to request the materials and resources their students need to keep learning, while America’s Food Fund provides funding to hunger-relief organizations and ensures that students relying on school lunch programs still have safe and consistent access to meals during the pandemic.
Watch the full event below.
