Oprah Winfrey is to deliver an online commencement speech to the Class of 2020 as part of huge Facebook event.
As students across the globe face the prospect of missing out on their graduation day celebrations due to the Covid-19 crisis, Facebook bosses announced on Tuesday that they will host an online event to honour U.S. students' academic achievements on 15 May.
"This is a bittersweet time for the Class of 2020. As students head toward graduation, it's not the day they might have imagined - no processions, no diploma handoffs, no parties," Facebook executive Marne Levine wrote in a company blog post. "They are commencing at a time of great uncertainty. But graduating is a tremendous achievement, and worth pausing to celebrate even in these circumstances. That's why Facebook has planned a special event on the Facebook app and Instagram."
In addition to Oprah, who will give the main commencement address, Awkwafina, Jennifer Garner, Lil Nas X, Simone Biles, and more, will share words of wisdom, while Miley Cyrus will perform her hit The Climb.
The #Graduation2020 livestream will get underway at 2pm EST, with video shared on the Facebook app, Facebook Watch, and the main Instagram account.
It will also feature messages from college deans and school principals from across the U.S., and a virtual graduation hub where friends and family can host their own private celebrations.