Obama giving commencement speech Saturday night; LeBron James to host
Former President Barack Obama will give a virtual commencement address to graduating high school seniors across the country Saturday night during a televised event hosted by NBA star LeBron James.
It is part of a special called "Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020" that will also include appearances by numerous musical stars, celebrities and athletes, including the Jonas Brothers, Megan Rapinoe, Pharrell Williams, Maren Morris and Malala Yousafzai.
"These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized," James said in a statement. "While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it."
The event will air on NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX simultaneously at 8 p.m. ET. It will also be livestreamed on NBC News as well as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. It is produced by Done + Dusted and James' SpringHill Entertainment.
The focus of the commencements is on graduating students, but Obama's words may garner much interest as well.
It will be his first public address to a national audience during the coronavirus pandemic. His private criticism of the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak — which he called an “absolute chaotic disaster" — made headlines last week.
Obama endorsed Joe Biden in April after refusing to state a candidate preference during the Democratic primary. He has largely remained tightlipped about criticizing his successor in the White House.
The former president is also set to share a message earlier Saturday during a livestreamed, virtual event at 2 p.m. ET hosted by Kevin Hart that features numerous black celebrities and business leaders. The event will honor the 27,000 students graduating from 78 historically black colleges and universities.
“I’ve always loved joining commencements — the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice,” Obama wrote on Twitter earlier this month. “Even if we can’t get together in person this year, Michelle and I am excited to celebrate the nationwide Class of 2020 and recognize this milestone with you and your loved ones.”
The former president is slated to give a third commencement address on June 6 with Michelle Obama in an event hosted by YouTube.
