CNN to air two-hour special honoring the class of 2020
CNN on Saturday will air a two-hour, primetime special honoring the class of 2020, as millions of students across the nation have had their graduating ceremonies canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Class of 2020: In This Together” will air Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. ET on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español. It will be hosted by CNN’s Erin Burnett, Don Lemon and Jake Tapper.
The first hour will be produced by CNN and will feature former President Bill Clinton, Amy Schumer, Jason Alexander, Gal Gadot, Jack Gilinsky, Henry Winkler, Alex Rodriguez, Keegan-Michael Key and Anthony Anderson with performances by Yo-Yo Ma, Bazzi and Foster the People.
In the second hour, CNN will broadcast “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020,” which is hosted by The LeBron James Family Foundation, The Entertainment Industry Foundation, and XQ Institute. The event will feature former President Barack Obama, LeBron James, the Jonas Brothers, Zendaya, Olivia Wilde, Ben Platt, Megan Rapinoe, Yara Shahidi, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai, and more. The one-hour, commercial-free event will be carried by more than 20 broadcast and cable networks and streaming channels throughout the US. Corporate and philanthropic giving associated with #GraduateTogether will benefit DonorsChoose and America’s Food Fund.
“Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020” will stream live, without requiring a cable log-in, on CNN.com’s homepage and across mobile devices via CNN’s apps for iOS and Android. It can also be viewed on CNNgo (at CNN.com/go on your desktop, smartphone, and iPad, and via CNNgo apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast and Android TV). The special will also be available on demand to subscribers via cable/satellite systems, CNNgo platforms and CNN mobile apps.
CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to clarify that donations will go to DonorsChoose and America’s Food Fund. Donations will not be solicited during the program.
