Ye is back in Chicago, where a piece of the city now bears his late mother’s name.
The rapper, formerly known as Kanye West, returned to his hometown on Tuesday, Sept. 22, for a ceremony honoring Professor Dr. Donda West, who died in 2007 at age 58.
During the ceremony, a section of 78th Street on Chicago’s South Side was given the honorary name “Dr. Donda West Way.” The stretch runs near the South Shore neighborhood home where Donda raised her son and where Ye spent part of his early life.
Ye attended the unveiling alongside Chicago 7th Ward Ald. Greg Mitchell and several people who knew the family during Ye’s younger years.
The ceremony focused on Donda’s own legacy as an educator, scholar and mentor, as well as the role she played in encouraging her son and his friends to pursue their creative ambitions.
Donda spent nearly three decades at Chicago State University, where she served as chair of the English Department. She was also involved in establishing the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing.
Chicago rapper and educator Che “Rhymefest” Smith was among those who spoke about her influence during the ceremony, describing her as a mother figure to many of the young people who spent time around the West family.
“She was a village mom,” Rhymefest said, according to local reports.
Donda’s South Shore home became a gathering place for Ye and his childhood friends as they experimented with music and began thinking seriously about their futures.
Several people from Ye’s early Chicago circle returned for the ceremony, including Warren “Really Doe” Trotter, Leonard “GLC” Harris and Don “Don C” Crawley.
They remembered Donda as someone who supported Ye’s ambitions while also teaching the young people around him about education, responsibility and business.
Ye did not give a major speech at the ceremony, but he participated in unveiling the new street sign bearing his mother’s name. He later spent time with longtime friends around the neighborhood that played an important role in his early life.
Donda died in November 2007 following complications after cosmetic surgery. Her death had a lasting impact on Ye and his music.
In 2021, he released the album “Donda,” naming the project after his mother and incorporating themes of family, faith and grief.
Nearly two decades after her death, Donda’s name is now permanently connected to the Chicago neighborhood where she raised her son.
For Ye, the return to South Shore offered a chance to honor the woman who helped shape his life and encouraged his earliest creative ambitions. For the Chicago community, the new “Dr. Donda West Way” recognizes a woman whose influence extended far beyond being the mother of one of hip-hop’s biggest stars.
