School of the Art Institute of Chicago Revokes Kanye West’s Honorary Degree

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has formally rescinded Kanye West’s honorary degree following the rapper’s controversial anti-Semitic remarks that made headlines over the past few weeks. 

Elissa Tenny, SAIC President, explained in a letter quoted by TMZ that the fashion designer has not only “exhibited disturbing behaviors” but also “made dangerous statements that do not align” with the institution’s values. 

In particular, Tenny points out that West’s “anti-Black, anti-semitic, and incendiary statements” are “disgusting and condemnable,” leading the private art school to retract the honorary degree it had given him for his contributions to art and culture at the time. 

A petition by a group dubbed ‘Against Hate at SAIC’ had garnered popularity in recent weeks, calling on the school to take back West’s acknowledgment. In total, it received over 4,000 online signatures, a great deal more than its original goal of 500. 

This is the first time in the institution’s 80-year history that an honorary degree has been revoked, with the school’s president emphasizing the decision was a difficult one to make and had been “deliberated thoroughly” by the Board of Governors. 

Ironically, as ARTnews points out, when West first received the award, he had been credited as “an advocate for education, and a thinker and maker who often uses his work… to deconstruct stereotypes and spur cultural discourse on important social issues.” 

It’s safe to say things aren’t going the way of Ye, with global brands including Balenciaga, Adidas, and Gap severing ties with the 45-year-old mogul in recent months. It only got worse last week, when West openly praised Adolf Hitler and said he saw “good things” in him.

[via Page Six and ARTnews, cover image via 1miro | Dreamstime.com]