Campaigns across the country, both local and federal, have forged partnerships with celebrities in hopes of expanding the visibility of their political messages. During the 2018 midterms, everyone from Brad Pitt to Chris Paul appeared in 'Get Out the Vote' efforts, urging elligible voters to exercise their democratic right. While their support should be applauded, fairweather celebrity activists are all too common. However, for Chance the Rapper, who consistently uses his music and his platform to make a difference in his community, the 'activist' title doesn't come close to encapsulating all of his valiant efforts.
On Wednesday, Chance donated $400,000 to mayoral candidate Amara Enyia's campaign. Chance, alongside Kanye West, endorsed Enyia in October and proceeded to host numerous fundraisers for the progressive candidate. The rapper cited Enyia's activism as what initially attracted him to her mayoral campaign.
Prior to his considerable donation, former mayoral candidate and mentee of Chance's, Ja'Mal Green, took to Twitter to put Chance on blast for not having financially contributed to Enyia's campaign.
"Yo, @chancetherapper I’m tired of seeing you host fundraisers for @AmaraEnyia but you can’t write a check. Save the appearances! She needs money to compete, you might as well ran for mayor yourself. It’s not about YOU!" Green wrote. Chance responded to the tweet, suggesting, “you should endorse her.” Shorly thereafter, the Coloring Book rapper contributed the single largest donation from an individual donor to date. After news of the donation circulated online, Green continued to weigh in, writing on Twitter, “what I tell him y’all, endorse a check! Now play ball.”
Enyia's spokesperson, Camonghne Felix, explained in a statement that the donation will be used towards everyday campaign activities, including advertising and staffing. “[The donation] means that we’ll have more flexibility than we’ve had before in our efforts to mobilize, get people engaged and connect with communities that have been disillusioned with politics,” Felix said in a statement. “It’s the collective power of their voices and votes that will win on Feb. 26 — not the power of money.”
In addition to local politics and racial justice initiatives, Chance has publicly spearheaded efforts to allocate more funding towards Chicago Public Schools, to which he personally donated $1 million.
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