Duke Ellington School of the Arts Postpones Dave Chappelle Fundraiser

Outrage stemming from the Dave Chappelle Netflix comedy special continues to interfere with the comedian’s life. This time, an event honoring him has been pushed back.

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts, located in Washington D.C., was set to honor Chappelle on November 23rd during a fundraiser. The event was going to be raising money for a theater that was to be named after Chappelle. However, student uproar led the school to postpone the event until April 22nd. Many students said they were uncomfortable supporting the actor after his LGTBQ+ jokes during his “The Closer” special.

Though they’ve agreed to push the fundraiser back, the school, which is Chappelle’s alma mater, slammed cancel culture in a statement issued to students.

“We recognize that not everyone will accept or welcome a particular artist’s point of view, product or craft, but reject the notion that a ‘cancel culture is a healthy or constructive means to teach our students how society should balance creative freedom with protecting the right and dignity of all of its members,” it read.

The school hopes that Chappelle’s comments will be used as a “teachable moment” among students and create meaningful conversations.

Since the comedy special arrived on Netflix, Chappelle has faced mounting backlash. Staff members with the streaming platform protested while film festivals began “disinviting” him and refusing to show his documentary.