Kanye West showed up in Chicago on Tuesday as the city unveiled an honorary street sign bearing his late mother’s name. Ye attended the South Shore ceremony at 78th Street and South Shore Drive, where the corner gained the name Dr. Donda West Way.
ABC7 Chicago confirmed his arrival, while CBS Chicago reported that he joined the gathering for the unveiling.
The ceremony placed Dr. West’s years as a Chicago educator at the center of the tribute. She taught at Chicago State University for more than two decades, chaired its English department and founded the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing.
Alderman Greg Mitchell told CBS Chicago’s ceremony report, “For nearly three decades at Chicago State University, Dr. West shaped minds and opened doors.”
Chicago State professor Garrard McClendon nominated Dr. West for the honorary street designation, according to CBS Chicago.
He said her work at the university helped create opportunities for emerging writers and artists. Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon, Chicago school board member and rapper Rhymefest and rapper GLC also spoke at the ceremony. CBS Chicago confirmed Ye attended the gathering, though its report included no remarks from the rapper.
The South Shore setting also connects the public honor to the neighborhood where Ye spent his childhood. Ye grew up in South Shore, where his mother owned a home; the Chicago Sun-Times reported that he bought the property in 2020.
AllHipHop previously covered the house, which had been tied to plans for a youth arts space honoring Dr. West.
Ye has carried his mother’s name through his music and into a major Chicago stadium production.
During a 2021 Soldier Field listening event for Donda, he staged a replica of his South Shore childhood home inside the stadium. Earlier this month, he returned to Soldier Field for two Chicago concerts, according to CBS Chicago’s local coverage.
Dr. West died in 2007 at age 58, nearly two decades before Chicago unveiled the sign in her honor. Tuesday’s designation honors her at the corner of 78th Street and South Shore Drive; it does not replace the street’s existing name.
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