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After what he called an “frustrating” meeting with Illinois governor Bruce Rauner on Friday regarding drastic cuts to the Chicago public school budgets, Chancellor Bennett, aka Chance the Rapper, donated more than $1 million to public schools in his hometown on Monday afternoon.

“While I am frustrated and disappointed by the governor’s inaction, that will not stop me from doing all I can to support Chicago’s most valuable resources,” he began. “Today I am proud to announce that I am donating one million dollars to CPS for arts and enrichment programming.”

The Chicago Tribune reports that the rapper said his $1 million donation was made possible through ticket sales for his upcoming spring tour and a joint effort between concert promoters (including Live Nation, AEG and Ticketmaster) and local venues and promoters across the country.

On top of the rapper’s $1 million, Social Works, a local non-profit organization Chance created last year, will match every $100,000 raised for the CPS with an additional $10,000 to be allocated for specific Chicago public schools.

Chance will give out 10 additional $10,000 donations to select local schools, including the one he attended as a child.

He got a shout out from former first lady Michelle Obama for his efforts in a tweet that thanked him for giving back to the Chicago community and said hew was “an example of the power of arts education.”

Earlier:

Chance the Rapper met with Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday to discuss drastic cuts to Chicago public schools.

He gave me a lot of vague answers, so we’ll see what happens,” the rapper born Chancellor Bennett said while talking to reporters after the meeting

ABC-7 reports that Chicago Public schools announced a freeze on $46 million in discretionary money in early February after Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed a $215 million funding bill in December that schools were depending on to ease their pension burden.

The frozen funds were originally earmarked for new textbooks, technology and field trips and non-salary staff. Now the money will go toward a pension payment due at the end of June.

The impetus for the meeting came about after the governor congratulated the rapper for his three Grammy wins last month. The rapper asked for a meeting and one was set up.

I’m meeting privately with the governor Wednesday,” the Windy City native tweeted Monday. “The two of us will address funding education in Chicago. I’m eager to hear his ideas.” The meeting was moved to Friday.

After the 40-minute meeting when speaking with reporters, Chance noted that he was just a native Chicagoan who cared.

I’m not a politician, I’m not here-I’m here because I’m a dad, I’m an after school teacher. You know what I’m saying? I care about the kids,” Chance said.

All in all, though, he said he was disappointed by the results, saying he was “flustered” over the politicians “vague answers.”

“He asked me where the $215 million was going to come from,” said Chance.

Yet, the rapper took to Twitter after the meeting promising to continue the fight, saying, in part, “Monday morning I’ll have a plan.”

The governor said the two exchanged contact information and plan to talk more to work out a solution.

SOURCE: ABC-7 Chicago

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