The School of the Art Institute has revoked Kanye West’s honorary degree
The decision to rescind the honorary doctorate, which was awarded to the rapper in 2015, follows West’s anti-Semitic comments.
Kanye “Ye” West’s honorary doctorate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has been revoked, according to a statement released Thursday.
“The School of the Art Institute of Chicago condemns and repudiates Kanye West’s (now known as Ye) anti-Black, anti-Semitic, racist, and dangerous statements, particularly those directed at Black and Jewish communities. Ye’s actions do not align with SAIC’s mission and values, and we’ve rescinded his honorary degree,” SAIC officials said in a statement to The Chicago Sun-Times.
The honorary doctorate was awarded to the rapper in 2015.
The school’s decision comes in the wake of an online petition created on change.org by a group from the SAIC community urging SAIC President Elissa Tenny to revoke West’s honorary degree in light of his recent anti-Semitic remarks. “We informed the SAIC community this morning,” a Sun-Times representative said.
“This award bestows the legitimacy and luster of the School on a figure who has in recent months made repeated public statements expressing and justifying anti-Semetism. Regardless of his contributions prior to receipt of this award, it is harmful to allow Ye, as he is presently known, to continue to use the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to help legitimize hatred and violence,” the petition reads.
It continued, “This harm impacts the artists, designers, and scholars affiliated with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and their values of justice, compassion, and free expression without hatred. This harm impacts Jews, whose lives are put at direct risk by the mainstreaming of anti-Semitic views. This harm impacts all oppressed peoples, who stand to suffer when intimidation and deadly violence against people on the basis of their identity are made justifiable.”
The petition garnered 4,148 signatories as of Thursday.
According to the Sun-Times, a representative for SAIC did not immediately answer a request about whether the rapper had replied to the degree revocation.