![EXCLUSIVE: Former First Lady Michelle Obama steps out with friends Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa at celebrity restaurant Polo Bar in New York City. The two families have been friends since The Boss campaigned for Barack Obama during his successful run for the White House in 2008. Michelle famously told her President husband he needed to spend more time with Springsteen. Both men have talked about their friendship — fortified in part by the bond between their wives, Michelle and Patti. In the first episode of a podcast, called Renegades, Obama, 59, said he and Springsteen, 71, "grew to trust each other" based on conversations in which they reflected on feeling "invisible" throughout their childhoods. Springsteen sang with a gospel choir at the newly elected president's inauguration in 2009 and later recalled how he thought Obama had the wrong number the first time the Chicago Democrat called him. "And I said, 'OK, let me figure this out. I am a guitar-playing high school graduate from Freehold, New Jersey. And — OK — you want me to do what?" Springsteen said. Over the years, both have realized they had more in common than they initially realized. Namely, that they both felt like outsiders. "I always kept one foot in sort of the blue collar world and one foot in the counter culture world," Springsteen said of growing up in New Jersey. "And I never truly belonged completely in either of them, you know?". 28 Sep 2022 Pictured: Michelle Obama. Photo credit: ZapatA/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA902427_026.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/michelle-obama-nyc-mega.jpg?fit=293%2C440)
Proms across the country have been canceled in light of the COVID-19 crisis, but former First Lady Michelle Obama and MTV still want high schoolers to party in style. Michelle’s nonpartisan voter registration organization, When We All Vote, is holding a Prom-athon on May 22 on MTV’s YouTube channel, and students everywhere are invited to join in! Here’s what you need to know about the massive, star-studded event happening at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT, in honor of the amazing high schoolers who worked tirelessly to register their peers to vote in 2020:
1. Prepare for epic performances from three killer acts and celeb ‘prom’ tutorials. What’s a prom without the bangers? Chloe x Halle, DJ Pauly D, and KYLE are performing during the special, and there’s potential for more surprise sets. Some talented celebrities will also be on hand to help prepare juniors and seniors for their big night (at home). Julianne Hough is teaching everyone how to dance, while beauty vlogger Bretman Rock is bringing the glam with an expert makeup tutorial. Celebrity stylist Chris Appleton will provide a how-to for the perfect hairstyles — no stiff updos in sight in 2020!
2. The party starts at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm ET. Tune into the When We All Vote Prom-athon on MTV’s YouTube channel, HERE. The celebration will also be featured globally across MTV’s digital platforms, as well, according to the network.
3. Look for appearances by more celebs. Bebe Rexha, Becky G, and Tory Lanez, along with When We All Vote Ambassador Fat Joe and When We All Vote Co-Chair Janelle Monáe are slated for “special appearances.” There’s no word on what they’re cooking up for the livestream, but performances are always possible when you have this pool of pure star power!
4. There’s an all day takeover happening on MTV before virtual prom starts. If you’re busy tonight, the celebration’s actually already begun on MTV. Throughout the day of May 22, the network is broadcasting some of the most iconic prom-themed movies of all time, like 17 Again, Bring It On, Clueless, and Grease. AJ Mitchell, DDG, Mario, Laura Marano, and more stars will pop up periodically throughout the day to make special on-air appearances. What they’re doing during these appearances is a mystery!
5. It’s a celebration in honor of the winners of the 2020 prom challenge. Remember when celebrities were posting their prom throwback photos in January? This is the culmination of that movement. While the Prom-athon is a nationwide event, it’s especially for the high schools that excelled in When We All Vote’s My School Votes Program and the 2020 Prom Challenge. When We All Vote and MTV launched the 2020 Prom Challenge as a grant competition, challenging high schools across the United States to commit to boosting voter registration in their towns. And these intrepid high schoolers absolutely rose to the challenge.
Compton Early College High School in Compton, California pre-registered and registered nearly 100 percent of their seniors to vote, while Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School in Washington, DC, registered the entire senior class, according to Black Enterprise. The winners of the 2020 Prom Challenge are:
Dobson High School – Mesa, AZ
Western School of Science & Technology – Phoenix, AZ
Norte Vista High School – Riverside, CA
Compton Early College High School – Compton, CA
Community Charter Early College High School – Lake View Terrace, CA
Thurgood Marshall Academy PCHS – Washington, DC
Hialeah Gardens HS – Hialeah Gardens, FL
Meadowcreek High School – Norcross, GA
TF North High School – Calumet City, IL
Muchin College Prep – Chicago, IL
Communication and Media Arts High School – Detroit, MI
Cass Technical High School – Detroit, MI
John F. Kennedy High School – Winston – Salem, NC
R.J. Reynolds High School – Winston – Salem, NC
Valley High School – Las Vegas, NV
STEM Academy at Showalter – Chester, PA
Abraham Lincoln High School – Philadelphia, PA
Building 21 High School – Allentown, PA
Westbury High School – Houston, TX
Golda Meir High School – Milwaukee, WI
P.S. — if you haven’t registered to vote yet, there’s still time to make that happen. Sign up using the form below, courtesy of our friends at Rock The Vote! It’s easy, and you’re making sure that your voice is heard at the polls in November 2020.