College and high school graduates have been mourning the loss of their graduation ceremonies after COVID-19 robbed them of traditional commemoration of the momentous occasion.
Some schools such as University of Miami and Loyal University are postponing their graduation ceremonies to later in the year, but many schools have had to cancel them altogether. "It still really sucks to think that after the time, money and energy I put into four years of college, I won't get the 10 seconds of validation from getting my diploma onstage," said Brooke Jackson, a senior at Minnesota State University.
In order to inspire the class of 2020 in the midst of all the chaos and disappointment, on June 7th, Michelle and President Barack Obama delivered commencement speeches for Youtube’s Dear Class of 2020.
Lizzo kicked off the ceremony with a special surprise for the class of 2020. Standing in front of a bright purple backdrop that matched her dress, Lizzo delivered a flute performance of the graduation classic “Pomp & Circumstance.” “Congratulations to the class of 2020! Now let’s turn it up!,” the singer said before the New York Philharmonic appeared to accompany the performance. The song takes on a percussive beat as pictures of graduates and Black Lives Matter protesters wearing face masks float across the background. The ceremony also included superstars such as Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Ty Dolla $ign and more.
Watch Lizzo’s performance below.