Earlier this week, comedian Dave Chapelle visited his alma mater, D.C.’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts where students expected him to apologize for his comments on the Netflix special, “The Closer.”
According to Politico Playbook, many students had a few things to say to the comedian. One attendee at the event said, “I’m 16 and I think you’re childish, you handled it like a child,” adding that Chapelle is a “bigot.”
Chapelle responded “My friend, with all due respect, I don’t believe you could make one of the decisions I have to make on a given day.”
Over the years Chapelle has faced years of criticism and accusations that he is “transphobic” for many of his stand-up jokes, especially following the Netflix release of “The Closer,” in which he made comments like “gender is a fact.”
The trans community and several Netflix employees were not receptive to the special, although it received positive reviews from the general public.
After concerns of students walking out in protest, the institution rescheduled his presentation from Nov. 23 to April 22, before returning to the scheduled date.
According to Politico, he responded to a hostile inquiry from a student by saying: “I’m better than every instrumentalist, artist, no matter what art you do in this school, right now, I’m better than all of you. I’m sure that will change. I’m sure you’ll be household names soon.”
Another student screamed at him, “Your comedy kills!”
“ N—— are killed every day,” he reportedly responded, before saying: “The media’s not here, right?”
“As a parent, I have to say I have a real problem. … He was being dead serious and using the N-word on the record. What kind of judgment is the school showing to allow that?” one parent said of the event.
Chappelle spokesperson Carla Sims told Politico, “They are complaining that he talked and said the n-word. If anything, Dave is putting the school on the map.”
“He said these kids deserve an F for forgiveness,” Sims added, saying he did not expect students to want him to apologize during the visit. But “give them some space to grow. They are going to say things that are immature.”
According to a Duke Ellington official, the comedian urged students who were offended by his humor to ask him questions, and roughly eight students did so.
“During the conversation with students and staff, Chappelle specifically invited the voices of discontent to ask questions, however as a result, the supporters of Chappelle became the silent majority,” said Duke Ellington spokesperson Savannah Overton.
“Our principal was approached by several students after the assembly who were disappointed that they were not able to voice their support for Chappelle in this forum,” she added.
Despite several tense moments, students reported Chappelle’s tone had softened by the end of the tour, and he denounced death threats received by some students for protesting him. He was described as “really kind” by one of the students.
“His whole tone changed,” one of the students told Politico. “He said, ‘This is my family and whether they know it or not I love these kids. … I don’t want to hear about any threats to these kids. These kids don’t deserve that.’”
“He was really kind,” the student added. “If [only] he [had] acted that way the whole time. … There was no reason to be mean to us. He was just laughing at kids.”
He also reportedly gave each student three tickets to his documentary “Untitled” and have away 600 meals to students and staff for Thanksgiving.
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