On Sunday, June 7th, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama hosted YouTube’s virtual graduation ceremony “Dear Class of 2020” – a virtual graduation celebration dedicated to the graduates of 2020 who were unable to attend their commencement ceremonies due to the global pandemic.
The nearly five-hour, festival-style event combined classic commencement day themes with a diverse array of entertainment. As part of the festivities, we saw singers, actors and thought leaders give commencement speeches and performances to mark a graduating class like no other.
The event the likes of Beyoncé, BTS, Taylor Swift, Lizzo and Lady Gaga participate and give commencement speeches.
Scroll here for the best commencement speeches from the event:
1. Beyonce
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter made a powerful statement on the Black Lives Matter movement and sexism in the music industry during YouTube’s “Dear Class of 2020” virtual graduation on Saturday.
The singer started by congratulating the high school seniors who persevered through an unprecedented time in the country.
“Congratulations to the class of 2020, you have arrived here in the middle of a global crisis, a racial pandemic and worldwide expression of outrage at the senseless killing of yet another unarmed Black human being. And you still made it, we’re so proud of you,” she said.
2. The Obamas
3. Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga painted a picture of racism in America as a malignant forest that needs to be uprooted in her graduation speech for YouTube’s “Dear Class of 2020” event.
The Grammy-winning singer said she had to rewrite her speech after the death of George Floyd and the nationwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality that began last week.
“You are watching what is a pivotal moment in this country’s evolution. You are watching society change in a deeply important way. This change will be slow, and we will have to be patient. But change will happen and it will be for the better,” she began. Gaga also said that high school graduates are living through this unprecedented time in history and are seeds that would bring about change.
4. BTS
While BTS were billed as the closing act of the nearly five-hour “Dear Class of 2020” broadcast yesterday, earlier in the show, each member of the group gave a long and heartfelt speech to the graduates and to their fans.
RM, the only member who gave his speech in English, started off by saying how far he feels he’s come since his middle school graduation a decade ago.
Concluding with a hopeful message, the band said that they hoped “Their stories reached you all today. Some say we have achieved so many things, but we are no different from others in their 20s. We may just be seeing each other through a camera, but I know your future will boom into something much bigger.”
In true BTS-fashion, the band threw graduation caps in the air and shouted, “Congratulations, class of 2020!”
5. Mark Hamill & Daisy Ridley
“Star Wars” actors Hamill and Ridley read portions of the classic Dr. Seuss story “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”
“Even one story can inspire the world. Why can’t it be yours?” said Hamill. After completing the story, the Jedi said, “With that, your training is older; now go forth and become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
And if the path is not foreseen at this point, Hamill said, “Don’t force it”
“The Force Awakens” director J.J. Abrams spoke afterwards saying, “When life is hard, that is when true character reveals itself. Stay strong, stay positive and stay inspired. Because a great story can inspire the world.”
You can rewatch the rest of the ceremony here.
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