A ceremony at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington D.C. was held this evening (June 20) in honor of Dave Chappelle, but things didn't go as most had expected. The controversial comedian was all set for the theater building at the school he once attended to be named after him, but instead, Chappelle announced that the location would don another title: Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression.
There were several reporters in attendance, including Josh Rogin from The Washington Post, and according to him, Chappelle explained his decision. It seems that an event at the Lourve, as well as his recent Netflix comedy special The Closer, inspired him to make the change.
Rogin tweeted quotes from Chappelle at the event.
“I saw in the newspaper that a man who was dressed in women’s clothing threw a pie at the Mona Lisa and tried to deface it. And it made me laugh and I thought, ‘It’s like The Closer,'" the comedian reportedly stated. Chappelle previously held an event at the school and was met with pushback over his remarks during the special. Students protested his appearance, and now, the actor said he didn't want students to look at his name on the building and feel bad.
“The idea that my name will be turned into an instrument of someone else’s perceived oppression is untenable to me.” However, he stands on The Closer. “When you say I can’t say something, the more urgent is it for me to say it. It has nothing to do with what you are saying I can’t say. It has everything to do with my freedom of artistic expression.”
Check it out below.
[via]