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As the Trump administration continues to throw this country into one unprecedented scandal after another, more celebrities find themselves using their platforms to get more engaged in politics. On Wednesday, Chance the Rapper turned activist put his money where his mouth is by donating $400,000 to mayoral candidate Amara Enyia‘s campaign reports Complex.
Both Chance and fellow Chicago native Kanye West endorsed Enyia back in October and have hosted numerous fundraisers for the progressive candidate. The 25-year-old even credits Enyia’s activism for specifically getting him involved in the upcoming mayoral election.
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Up until now the support for Enyia was mostly shown through verbal endorsements and creating opportunities for the community to learn about her platform, but recently Chance’s mentee, Ja’Mal Green, took to Twitter to playfully put him on blast for forgetting to cut her a check.
“Yo, @chancetherapper I’m tired of seeing you host fundraisers for @AmaraEnyia but you can’t write a check,” wrote Green. “Save the appearances! She needs money to compete, you might as well ran for mayor yourself. It’s not about YOU!”
In response, Chance suggested, “you should endorse her.”
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! There I said it, I’m out the race. 🤷🏾♂️ #ChanceTheEgo
— Ja'Mal Green (@JaymalGreen) January 13, 2019
But Green’s words must have struck a chord because shortly thereafter, the rapper followed the young man’s advice and contributed what is currently the largest single donation from an individual donor to date.
When news of the financial support began to circulate on social media, Green weighed in once more, tweeting, “what I tell him y’all, endorse a check! Now play ball.”
Enyia’s campaign spokesperson, Camonghne Felix, released a statement outlining how the donation will be used towards essential campaign activities such as 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,” read the statement. “It’s the collective power of their voices and votes that will win on Feb. 26 — not the power of money.”
This isn’t the first time Chance has made a substantial financial contribution to causes he believes in. In 2018 he publicly spearheaded efforts to allocate more funding towards Chicago Public Schools, and then personally donated $1 million of his own money.
CHICAGO – This week, Amara Enyia received an endorsement from Local Berniecrats, a national group of progressive activists who work to elect bold progressives for a bottom-up political revolution. #AmaraforChicago #ChiMayor19 pic.twitter.com/CDYDAx5fHU
— Amara for Chicago (@amaraforchicago) January 15, 2019
“The more [Amara Enyia] speaks, the more you want to listen and the more you want to dialogue with her.”
To hear more of what Amara has to say, check out our website at https://t.co/OPIKvqEXj5 pic.twitter.com/ZywQwtIazS
— Amara for Chicago (@amaraforchicago) January 11, 2019