Michelle Obama Is Using Her '80s Prom Photo To Get Teens To Vote

In the ultimate nod to Molly Ringwald circa Pretty in Pink, Michelle Obama shared her ‘80s prom photo for an important cause. The former first lady uploaded the ultimate throwback Instagram photo of her 1982 high school prom on Tuesday in an effort to mobilize high school teens to vote. Obama’s post is part of the 2020 Prom Challenge, a campaign challenge created by MTV and When We All Vote that calls on high schools across the country to integrate voter registration into their schools.

In her prom photo, Obama is donned in a satin pink dress decorated with white polka dots. With a leg slit on the side, the dress is completed with a matching blazer. The Becoming author is all smiles in a wicker chair as her date poses nearby. “Throwing it back to my 1982 prom night and this pink satin, polka-dotted dress,” Obama captioned the post. “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!”

She concluded, “Learn more at prom.mtv.com. You can also help me spread the word by posting your prom photo with #PromChallenge.”

With the support of Rent the Runway and various other brands, MTV and When We All Vote’s Prom Challenge calls on students and teachers across the country to creatively and impactively integrate voter registration into their campuses for the chance to win up to $5,000 for their school’s prom. The campaign’s tagline reads, “Your senior prom’s a big deal. So is voting for your first time.” Students and teachers have until March 13 at 11:59 p.m. EST to send in an application.

This isn’t the first time Obama has championed voting initiatives with When We All Vote. In November 2019, the former first lady assembled a “Voting Squad” for the midterms that called on eligible voters to register and prepare to vote. “With less than a year to the 2020 elections, it's time to start thinking about your #VotingSquad,” Obama wrote on Twitter. Her squad included Shonda Rhimes, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Selena Gomez, Liza Koshy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Megan Rapinoe, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington, and more.

For more information about the 2020 Prom Challenge, visit MTV and When We All Vote's campaign website.