Chance the Rapper may have donated $1 million to Chicago’s public schools out of the goodness of his big, caring heart, but surely gaining a flattering shout-out from former FLOTUS Michelle Obama was an added perk to that good deed. After Chance announced his personal attempt to help the city’s schools during a press conference on Monday, Obama — also a Chicago native — tweeted her appreciation for the rapper’s initiative. “Thanks @chancetherapper for giving back to the Chicago community, which gave us so much,†Obama wrote. “You are an example of the power of arts education.â€
During the week prior to today’s announcement, Chance had a disappointing meeting with Illinois governor Bruce Rauner regarding state funding for the city’s schools.