Photo Credit: Joshua Lott/Getty Images
Chance the Rapper took a stand in politics yesterday (yesterday (Oct. 16), and publicly endorsed activist Amara Enyia for mayor of Chicago as he stood on the steps of the Chi’s City Hall.
His announcement comes after he caused a social media frenzy Monday night (Oct. 15) when he tweeted a media advisory informing his followers that he would be holding a press conference “regarding the mayoral election.” Fans – and Chicago’s mayoral candidates – thought his post was a precursor to him saying he would be joining the race for mayor of Chicago. He put a stop to those rumors shortly after the press conference began.
City Hall pull up pic.twitter.com/RO31aO9bPI
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) October 15, 2018
“Obviously, I love this city. And I love it enough to call it out on its shortcomings…especially in places like education and equity in some of the most disenfranchised communities in the city. Our transit communities, and with policing and our department with its troubled and sketchy past.”
The Windy City native went on to discuss the need for change in his city, and confidently stated, “I would like to say, very narcissistically, if I back you, you have a chance, absolutely. I want to work with somebody that’s about change…the one person, in my research, of this wide open race that’s views align with me would obviously be candidate Amara Enyia.”
For those unfamiliar with Enyia, she’s the “Executive Director of the Austin Chamber of Commerce with a record of grassroots activism,” reports Chicago’s ABC 7.
The mayoral candidate thinks Chance’s endorsement and her potential win will “definitely a game-changer.” “Not just for me, but for the city of Chicago,” Enyia told reporters.
When asked how much money he’d be donating to Enyia’s campaign, he said, “I haven’t [decided] yet, but I have a lot of money, so we’ll see.”