#Graduation2020: Facebook and Instagram Celebrate the Class of 2020 is a multi-hour streaming event held on May 15, 2020 to celebrate the graduating classes of 2020 which are unable to have traditional graduation ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grover and Cookie Monster from Sesame Street appeared to give messages to the graduating class.[1]
Grover's comments were recycled from a 2018 #ELMOtivation Professor Grover video (YouTube) and a longer version of Cookie's comments was later published on Sesame Street’s YouTube channel (YouTube).
Mindy Kaling and B. J. Novak co-hosted the event along with various celebrity speakers, including Oprah Winfrey, Miley Cyrus, Malala Yousafzai, Kristen Bell, Selena Gomez, Awkwafina, Jennifer Garner, Lil Nas X, Gloria Estefan, Gordon Ramsay, Hailee Steinfeld, John Mayer, Marlee Matlin, Sterling K. Brown, Tori Kelly, Usher, and many others.
Facebook later removed the audio from the stream, but kept the subtitles intact.
External links[]
- archived livestream (audio removed)
- news release April 28, 2020
- news release May 11, 2020