Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., is going to rename its theatre after comedian Dave Chappelle, despite students yelling at him for jokes he made in 2021.
The school intended to rename its theatre after Chappelle in 2021, but held off on the change after his comedy special “The Closer” was criticized by some for what they felt were jokes about the transgender community, NBC News reported at the time. Chappelle was heckled around that time by students when he returned for a school assembly, with one calling him a bigot for his jokes, according to TMZ.
Some students wanted to reverse the decision to name the building after Chappelle, but the comedian had a better idea, TMZ continued. He challenged his supporters and hecklers to raise money for the school, and if the latter raised more money, he would forgo the honor, according to the outlet.
Chappelle’s supporters raised the most money, so David Chappelle Theatre will exist in the very near future, according to reports by TMZ. (RELATED: Netflix Puts Its Woke Employees On Notice With Blunt Memo)
Dave Chappelle’s Lawyer Tells District Attorney To File Felony Charges Against Attacker https://t.co/QKzNzzxUFU
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 10, 2022
The school has previously noted that a majority of students favored renaming the school, according to the LA Times. The honor will, “demonstrate the importance of carefully listening to every voice within our diverse and inclusive community,” the outlet continued.