Chance the Rapper to address Dillard University’s 2018 grads

The Grammy Award-winning artist has been asked to deliver this year’s commencement address to graduates of Dillard University in New Orleans.

Blue Telusma

Apr 9, 2018

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In recent months, Chance the Rapper‘s commitment to education and social activism has made just as many headlines as his music.

It should come as no surprise then that the Grammy Award-winning artist has been asked to deliver this year’s commencement address to graduates of Dillard University in New Orleans.

According to Dillard President Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough, Chance the Rapper, whose real name is Chancelor Bennett, felt like a perfect choice not only because of his activism, but also because of the way he openly talks about his faith.

“He’s not signed but a multiple Grammy winner,” Kimbrough said, alluding to how Bennett’s independent project Coloring Book became the first streaming-only album to be nominated and win a Grammy.

“He’s the artist that your grandmother would love,” continued the university president, who also teaches a class on ethics and hip hop and has persistently sought out the 24-year-old to appear on campus for the last two years.

Given Bennett’s ever growing resume, it comes as no surprise that he has is in high-demand these days.

According to The Chicago Tribune:

“In 2014, Chance used #savechicago to stop gun-violence for 42 hours and since then, he’s forged ahead. And for three years, whether through hosting monthly high school OpenMike series at Chicago’s Public Libraries, raising over $100,000 to bring sleeping-bags and coats to Chicago’s homeless, or raising over $4 million for his local Chicago Public School System, Bennet makes helping others a priority.

Bennett is also the founder and president of SocialWorks, a nonprofit created to empower youth through the arts, education, and civic engagement, and it’s his aim to reshape the possibilities through freedom and access for the youth of Chicago and the globe”

“The activism is a bonus with Chance,” Kimbrough admits.

“I thought he made for a great commencement speaker because of his spirit of being entrepreneurial and authentic. But his civic engagement, including encouraging people to vote and willingness to speak out on issues, like his recent opposition to a Heineken ad, are just as paramount.”