Kanye West loses honorary degree amid anti-Semitic backlash

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has rescinded the honorary doctorate of Kanye West after the rapper’s anti-Semitic outbursts.

As per The Chicago Sun-Times, “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 Ye’s actions do not align with SAIC’s mission and values, and we’ve rescinded his honorary degree,” SAIC officials said.

The decision comes on the heels of online petition started by a group from the SAIC community formed on change.org urging SAIC President Elissa Tenny to rescind the honorary degree after Ye’s recent anti-Semitic remakrs.

“We informed the SAIC community this morning,” a school spokeswoman told the Sun-Times.

“This award bestows the legitimacy and luster of the School on a figure who has in recent months has 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 to 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.”

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