Chance The Rapper is known for his philanthropic work, especially in Chicago. So it was no surprise when the native interviewed with Adrienne Samuels Gibbs at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, expressing his feelings regarding the decision to close and integrate several public Chicago South Side high schools.
The three-time Grammy Award winner has raised $2.2M to help schools in the city and donated his own money, $1M, to the cause to create social change.
On his thoughts on the city’s public school system, he said, “I kind of went hard for CPS for a long time.”
“Doing that work in the schools got me closer to the students and the faculty and the schools and the teachers and allowed me to step back and understand the difference between CPS — the students, the teachers, the faculty — and CPS, basically the business,” he added.
The activist and artist blamed members of his local government for not helping fix the issues in Chicago’s public school system. He called out Mayor Rahm Emanuel and others in office for their poor work ethic regarding the issue.
“You grow up feeling like you’re fighting against the man, or like you’re fighting against this faceless entity of people who are out to get you — but these people have names, know what I’m sayin’?” he said.
Chance The Rapper believes that real change will occur if neighborhoods unite (instead of dividing) for a cause that can benefit students.
“It starts in my neighborhood, my ward, my block type s—,” he said.
“It starts with block club presidents. It starts with starting a block club. But all those levels are accessible, you know?”
Hopefully, the rapper gets a chance to see a change in Chicago’s public school system for the sake and betterment of students’ education.
