Officials at Dave Chappelle’s former high school, where his appearance has been postponed amid threats of a student walkout, said they are hoping to use the time to stimulate discussions about the situation with their students.
The fundraising event where Chappelle was scheduled to appear was to take place at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Georgetown on Nov. 23, but that date has now been pushed back to April 22 in an effort to get ahead of the student protest over remarks Chappelle made on transgender people in his Netflix special, "The Closer," according to Politico.
In a statement on its website, the school said it has "engaged in listening sessions with our students and have allowed space for diverse viewpoints."
"We are committed to fostering a community where every individual feels both heard and supported," the statement continued. "Those conversations are ongoing. Additionally, using Chappelle’s latest works as the impetus, we have expanded our Social Studies curriculum to include content related to political activism, civic engagement, arts activism, and the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality. Our objective is to uplift conversations around artistic freedom and artistic responsibility."
A representative for Chappelle meanwhile told Fox News that Chappelle "is an artist and activist and applauds the school taking time to develop creative and critical thinkers."
"He supports the school’s effort to contribute to open conversations vs. cancellations," the rep added.
On its website, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts noted that Chappelle has long been a supporter of the institution. He donated his first Emmy and other memorabilia to the school, spoke at a graduation, and hosted a masterclass featuring accomplished artists including Bradley Cooper, Chris Tucker, and Erykah Badu. He has also donated "millions of dollars" to the school.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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