[protected-iframe id=”c5287411b1839115ead4e5b966455a8e-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FRealTalkUPROXX%2Fvideos%2F10154223771767595%2F&show_text=0&width=560″ width=”560″ height=”315″ frameborder=”0″ style=”border: none; overflow: hidden;” scrolling=”no”]
Earlier today Chance The Rapper announced that he’d be holding a press conference in Chicago. The location of the press conference is Westcott Elementary School, on the south side of Chicago, and Chance followed up on the initiatives about education that he has been passionately campaigning on for quite some time.
Made it to Westcott Elementary where @chancetherapper is holding his press conference. pic.twitter.com/X2omudilCr
— Corbin Reiff (@CorbinReiff) March 6, 2017
Prior to this, he scheduled a meeting with the Illinois governor specifically to address the topic, and even though it was postponed due to inclement weather in the state, eventually, the two did sit down to have that conversation.
It was a bit heated, and Chano ran up against some of the larger political ramifications of bills that give millions in funding for education, as Governor Rauner urged him to point people toward the history of how Chicago’s budget ended up the way it currently stands. But unlike Rauner, Chance has no interest in the failures of the past, he’s too busy looking to the future and figuring out how to change things.
.@chancetherapper is donating $1,000,000 to Chicago Public Schools pic.twitter.com/NHoQzzoC5M
— Corbin Reiff (@CorbinReiff) March 6, 2017
In the the press conference, that Chance streamed via Instagram, he further called for accountability within the local government to help support kids, and announced that he is donating $1 million himself, from ticket sales, to support education in Chicago.
That’s a huge number from a private citizen of course, but made even more special because it’s coming from his own fans. The initial sum is from ticket sales so far, which includes supportive funding from Live Nation, AEG and independent promoters and venues. Plus, for every $100,000 that’s donated, Chance will match it with $10,000 through his own Social Works nonprofit.
He’s also donating $10,000 to Westcott Elementary:
Chance is also donating $10,000 to Westcott Elementary pic.twitter.com/dw8OJBnNLi
— Corbin Reiff (@CorbinReiff) March 6, 2017
And has been in conversation with Common about how to raise more funds for education:
.@chancetherapper has got a call set up later to talk with @common about raising funds pic.twitter.com/KAbqaoX8ih
— Corbin Reiff (@CorbinReiff) March 6, 2017
This isn’t the first time Chance has repped for Chicago on the national scale, he’s consistently shooting down the demeaning rhetoric that demotes the city to “a third world country” — even when it’s coming from the President himself. And he called out the governor again:
.@chancetherapper “One more time, Governor Rauner, do your job.” pic.twitter.com/NBcVUuAzsu
— Corbin Reiff (@CorbinReiff) March 6, 2017
But even if he’s angry about the way his community has been failed, Chance remains focused first and foremost on the kids:
You seriously can’t quantify @chancetherapper‘s dedication to the kids of Chicago. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/hFgkqvO5Lx
— Corbin Reiff (@CorbinReiff) March 6, 2017
Additionally, the landing page for Chance’s website currently directs to page urging support for Chicago Public Schools.
Watch the full press conference above.
