Clark Atlanta Unversity gets a chance with Chance the Rapper

Chance the Rapper talks to President Ronald Johnson of Clark Atlanta University. Chance tweeted in August he was interested in attending the Atlanta HBCU, which invited him to attend the CAU football game in Chicago, where Chance grew up.

Chance the Rapper talks to President Ronald Johnson of Clark Atlanta University. Chance tweeted in August he was interested in attending the Atlanta HBCU, which invited him to attend the CAU football game in Chicago, where Chance grew up.

Photo courtesy: Curtis McDowell (Photos 1-3: Chance The Rapper and Dr. Ronald A. Johnson. 4th Photo: Larry Huggins, CFC Co-Founder, Chance The Rapper, Dr. Ronald A. Johnson and J. Lin Dawson, CAU Athletic Director)

Clark Atlanta University hosted Grammy-Award winning rapper Chance the Rapper, Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Chicago Football Classic between the CAU Panthers and the Grambling State University Tigers.

Chance wanted to experience the "CAU culture," after he sent a tweet that went viral on August 27, 2017. "I was tryna go to Clark ATL. I'm still tryna go. Like not honorary, the full blown ya dig. Can someone help me sign up.

Clark Atlanta has been cultivating Chance to pursue his dreams since his August tweet.

Chance watched the game with CAU President Ronald A. Johnson and school executives in the presidential box office.

“I enjoyed spending quality time with Chance,” Johnson said. “He was extremely welcoming to his city as he shared his intentions to learn more about CAU and the programs we offer.”

“Chance asked intellectually curious questions about the Mass Media Arts Department,” says Nsenga Burton, Chair and Professor of New Media Production at CAU. “We discussed what we have to offer him in our production and new media courses and how he could merge that with other disciplines like Africana Studies and Political Science.”

Chance, whose real name is Chancellor Bennett, grew up on Chicago’s South Side and recently made headlines for donating one million dollars to the Chicago Public School system. During the game he told CAU officials he is interested in expanding his knowledge and applying his ‘creativity in a stimulating environment’.

Second to Atlanta, Chicago sends the largest pool of applicants from other cities to to CAU.