Michelle Obama is giving the world a glimpse into her 80’s prom night. On Tuesday, the former First Lady posted a photo to Instagram showing her, dressed up in a satin number, with then-boyfriend David Upchurch.
“Throwing it back to my 1982 prom night and this pink satin, polka-dotted dress,” Obama captioned the picture. The post draws attention to a competition that the author of Becoming launched last month through her organization When We All Vote.
My School Votes, the national high school program under When We All Vote, partnered with MTV’s +1thevote and brand partners like Rent the Runway to give students an opportunity to win $5,000. Twenty high schools will be selected to receive the money which can then be used toward their prom or to invest in voter registration.
“If you’re a student or teacher, join the #PromChallenge with @WhenWeAllVote and @MTV and tell us what your school is doing to register students to vote — you could get a free prom for your school! Learn more at prom.mtv.com. You can also help me spread the word by posting your prom photo with #PromChallenge,” Obama continued her caption.
At the launch, Crystal Carson, Communications Director for When We All Vote, shared that more than 4 million Americans will turn 18 before the 2020 election. The groups are hoping to capitalize on that by working to integrate voter registration into the lives of high schoolers. That includes sports games, graduations, birthdays, and, of course, prom.
In an email to the organization’s supporters, Obama wrote, “Our vote is our voice in the American story — our say in the urgent issues of our time, from what’s happening in our schools and communities, to our most basic rights and freedoms.”