School of the Art Institute of Chicago strips Kanye West of honorary degree
CHICAGO (CBS) – The School of the Art Institute of Chicago announced on Thursday it has rescinded the honorary degree given to Ye, the artist formally known as Kanye West, citing his recent controversial remarks.
The school said it condemns Ye's "anti-Black, antisemetic, racist, and dangerous statements, particularly those directed at Black and Jewish communities.
"Ye's actions do not alight with SAIC's mission and values, and we've rescinded his honorary degree," the school said in a statement.
This comes after antisemitic marks he has made, up to and including praising Adolf Hitler.
The School of the Art Institute first awarded Ye the honorary degree in 2015.
More than 4,000 students had signed a petition launched by the group Against Hate at SAIC urging the school strip the artist of the honor.
Before becoming a famous rapper, West attended college for painting, then English. He did not attend the School of the Art Institute – he first attended the American Academy of Art, then Chicago State University. He dropped out at 20, releasing his monstrously successful debut album four years later.
In recent weeks, Ye has made a series of antisemitic comments. Last week, he praised Hitler in an interview Thursday with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
The same day, Elon Musk tweeted Ye's Twitter account was suspended for violating the company's rules against incitement to violence after an antisemitic tweet.
The rapper's comments led to his suspension from social media platforms, his talent agency dropping him and a handful of companies like Adidas cutting ties with him.