Kanye West's honorary doctorate gets revoked over 'condemnable' anti-Semitic remarks

Hollywood singer-rapper Kanye West was recently stripped from an honorary doctorate that was awarded to him by a prestigious art college, as a result of the offensive anti-semitic comments that he made in the recent past. According to CNN, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) rescinded the rapper’s honorary doctorate on Thursday in the wake of the fallout that has ensued from his barrage of offensive remarks against Jewish and Black communities. 

In a statement, the college said that it “condemns and repudiates Kanye West's (now know as Ye) anti-Black, antisemitic, racist, and dangerous statements, particularly those directed at Black and Jewish communities.” "Ye's actions do not align with SAIC's mission and values, and we've rescinded his honorary degree," it added.

The honorary doctorate, which was revoked on Thursday, was awarded to West in the year of 2015 for his contribution to the arenas of art and culture. However, it was rescinded after a group named Against Hate at SAIC recently began a petition calling for it to be revoked.

"Regardless of his contribution prior to the receipt of this award, it is harmful to allow Ye, as he is presently known, to continue to use the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to help legitimize hatred and violence," read an excerpt from the petition on Change.org. 

SAIC rebukes West for 'disgusting' remarks

As per an update shared on the page of the online petition, Elissa Tenny, the president of SAIC, said in a letter that the rapper’s comments are "disgusting and condemnable" and have been "painful for our entire community." "This was a difficult decision to make, and one that has been deliberated thoroughly," Tenny wrote, highlighting how the event marks the first time that a degree has been rescinded by the college in its long history of eight decades. 

West’s fall from grace comes after he made multiple offensive remarks and online posts targeting communities, such as sharing his adoration for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, stating that he will go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” and sharing an image of a Swastika merged with a Star of David on his Twitter account, which was later suspended on the grounds of violating the platform's policy against "incitement to violence," according to a tweet by CEO Elon Musk.