Last month, hip-hop star Chance the Rapper, discouraged after meetings and calls with the Illinois governor about the financial crisis facing Chicago public schools, took matters into his own hands. In a press conference at an elementary school a few block from where he grew up, Chance pledged $1 million of the proceeds from his tour to prevent the early closure of countless schools in the Chicago area.
His act of generosity encouraged many to realize that if the government wasn’t going to properly fund these schools, the private sector would have to pick up the slack. And as a result, the schools of Chicago find themselves the beneficiary of another $1 million gift, courtesy of the Chicago Bulls.
Much as he did for his initial donation, Chance had the pleasure of making another appearance at a Chicago school to announce the Bulls’ donation:
Chance said at the event, “It is my job, just as who I am, to bring light and attention to public school funding, broken formulas and especially how it affects my hometown where 90 percent are minority students.”
In addition to the $2 million pledged by Chance and the Bulls (of which over $100,000 has already been distributed to ten needy schools), $200,000 has also been raised via smaller private donations from individuals and corporations.
The success of the effort led Chance to use the press conference to announce the creation of his new foundation, The New Chance Arts And Literature Fund, which will raise money for schools whose five-year graduation rates fall below the city’s average. Upon the announcement of the effort, he said, “We all know that Illinois’ education system is one of the most underfunded in the nation, which has forced Chicago Public Schools to make drastic cuts to the classroom. As a parent and a proud CPS graduate, I’m committed to helping Chicago’s children have quality learning experiences and quality in the learning space.”
If you’re interested in helping Chance in his commitment, he is in the market for an intern to help him in his fight.
