Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot dances on TikTok to announce virtual graduation ceremony

The mayor did her first TikTok to celebrate the Class of 2020

Mayor Lori Lightfoot thegrio.com
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune via AP)

Lori Lightfoot has been Chicago mayor for almost a year and in that time, she’s certainly proving to be an interesting character.

READ MORE: Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot says she has enjoyed the memes about her 

Whether it was the memes that sprung up around her personally going out to communities in the city to make sure people were practicing social distancing (but then getting a haircut in the midst of the stay-at-home order) or her unlikely win to become the city’s first Black, female openly lesbian mayor, Lightfoot has made headlines since her candidacy.

 

She’s doing so again today because of her appearance in a TikTok video to announce Chicago’s city-wide graduation ceremony for high school seniors. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, disappointed high school graduates were initially going to be relegated to celebrating via Zoom or other social media apps in lieu of a ceremony.

That’s when Oprah Winfrey, one of the city’s most famous ex-residents (along with Michael Jordan; the Obamas still retain a residence there) agreed to host the graduation ceremony and Lori Lightfoot jumped on to TikTok to celebrate.

You can judge the mayor’s dancing skills for yourself below but we can agree that her ‘Madam Mayor’ sneakers are pretty cool.


According to The Chicago Sun-Times, the city is partnering with Winfrey and the Citadel a financial services company, to host the graduation which will take place on a date and time yet to be announced in June.

“We are thrilled and honored to have the one-and-only Oprah Winfrey joining us for this incredible moment with Chicago’s high school seniors,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “While we can’t recreate these in-person memories, I feel strongly that we need to recognize and celebrate the achievements of our many high school seniors in Chicago.

“The times we are living in are historic and stunning, forcing us all to take a deep look at who we are as a people and our place in the world,” the mayor said. “No one knows this better than Oprah, and I join all of Chicago in looking forward to hearing the wisdom she’ll be sharing with our incredible young people as they take this unforgettable next step on their life’s journey.”

The ceremony is slated to include performances, speeches and will highlight student achievements and will encompass public, private, and charter schools.

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