Chance The Rapper Questions Why Chicago Is Building A $95 Million Police Academy Instead Of Focusing On Schools

On Wednesday, Chance the Rapper gave a passionate speech to the Chicago City Council over it’s plan to build a $95 million police academy. 

According to Billboard, Chance pointed out the lack of funds available to build the academy and fired shots at Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel. 

“I guess the mayor had to step out when I came up. But it’s cool. It’s cool. It’s cool because I’m here to talk to you,” the rapper said after Emanuel left the chambers.

Chance went on to point out the trouble in builing a police academy when the city has been slow to fund schools. “I’ve been asking for money for over a year now to fund these classrooms and, on the 4th of July weekend, they announced in like a cool financing way that … they’re proposing to build a $95 million cop academy.” 

Referencing Orr Academy High School, Chance added, “The school, with just $100,000 in three years, is about to make some transformative changes. It would be awesome, though, if we could get them pools at their school, or a new library, or a museum, or any of the things that are proposed in the budget for this $95 million cop academy.”

However, despite Chance’s passionate speech, aldermen approved $10 million for the academy. The Chicago Tribune reports that the decision was approved 48-1. The mayor later defended the project, saying, “All the aldermen on the West Side voted for this, because they understand — they have felt forgotten from the type of public investments that can spur economic growth. It will have its own value of safety for the entire city. It will have its own value of safety … to the West Side. And it will be an investment in the kind of economic activity we want to see.”