Dr. Donda West

Dr. Donda West’s passing has taken the breath away of the Chicago State University community. Less than one month ago, the professor, author and Board Chair of the Kanye West Foundation served as a keynote speaker at Chicago State University’s 17th Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Writers’ Conference. During Dr. West’s address, she candidly shared what Kanye and his music meant to her and what she believes his work means to this generation. She also shared her reasons for writing her book, Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip Hop Superstar. “I wanted to talk about Kanye from my perspective, unedited by the media,” she said.

Dr. West described her recent visit to Chicago State as “coming home.” This sentiment is one reciprocated by the University community and is reflective of the 24 years of dedicated service she provided the institution as a professor and chair of the Department of English, Communications, Media Arts and Theatre. In those years, she touched the lives of hundreds of students as an educator and mentor while along the way, earning the respect and admiration of her colleagues.

In an effort to support her son’s career, she resigned from Chicago State University in 2004, but her commitment to enhancing the lives of students through education never wavered. This was made evident with the establishment in 2004 of the “Kanye West Fresh to Death Scholarship” for students studying Music, English, Theater, Fine Arts and Creative Writing.

She will be sorely missed.

Robyn Wheeler, University Relations