Dave Chappelle Feels Duty to Return to Stage During Tense Times
Dave Chappelle is thrilled to be back on the scene and we cannot wait to hear his take on everything that’s been plaguing the Black community as of late. During the comedian’s appearance at the Art for Life Benefit, where he received an award from Russell Simmons’s Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, Chappelle explained that although the country’s racial tension wasn’t the original reason why he decided to come back out, it’s definitely a reason to go all in.
"This is a very surprisingly emotionally charged time, so people like me, I think, are very relevant and necessary in sorting through all this information and emotional content," he said. "And when we are at our best, hopefully we are doing a great service to many people."
Chappelle added that artists and public figures have a duty to become activists and bring awareness to issues in the best way they know how.
"The biggest enemy of an artist is apathy," he said.
"A kid gets killed by the police and I buy a T-shirt and before I can wear that one, there's another kid [killed] and I'm running out of closet space."
Do you agree that artists have a responsibility to bring awareness to significant issues and help make sense of its impact on the community?
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