Oprah Winfrey will send off high school seniors from all over Chicago, Ill., during her commencement address at the “Graduation 2020: For Chicago. By Chicago” event this Sunday, June 14.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot plans to host the citywide virtual ceremony with hedge fund business Citadel, which she announced back in April while filming her own spin on the “Renegade” TikTok dance. Chicago native and Hamilton star Miguel Cervantes will serve as the event’s emcee.
“This is an incredible opportunity to give the graduates of 2020 the celebration they deserve,” Mayor Lightfoot said in a press release from her office. “Completing high school is a momentous occasion and while this year’s graduation ceremony might not be what they expected, this is an opportunity to send our students off in style.”
But Cervantes isn’t the only famous Chicago hometown hero showing up. The Voice finalist Katie Kadan will join the grads in performing the national anthem, while Common will deliver an original opening dedication. The after show will feature all-star appearances and performances from the Chicago-based improvisational theater troupe Second City and EDM duo Louis the Child as well as nationwide household names DJ Khaled, Thomas Rhett, X Ambassadors, Ellie King, Andy Grammer and the Jagged Little Pill musical performers.
More than 35,000 local high school graduates and their loved ones can tune into the hour-long live stream on the City of Chicago’s website, ABC’s digital Localish Network and public radio station WBEZ.org as well as Mayor Lightfoot’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The first-of-its-kind graduation event will broadcast across major local TV stations, including ABC7, NBC5, CBS2, WGN-TV, WCIU-TV, WTTW, FOX32 and Univision Chicago (WGBO-TV), the latter of which will be provided in Spanish. WBEZ Chicago will also air portions of “Graduation 2020: For Chicago. By Chicago” on 91.5 FM. Head to the event’s official website for more information and shareable social graphics.
Come back on Sunday, June 14 at 2 p.m. ET for the citywide celebrity-filled commencement ceremony below.
