The city of Chicago has honored the late Dr. Donda West with an honorary street designation in the city’s South Shore neighborhood, recognizing the educator, scholar and community figure who also was the mother of rapper Ye. The ceremony took place Tuesday, Sept. 22, near the West family’s former home, where a portion of 78th Street between South Shore Drive and Coles Avenue was designated “Dr. Donda West Way.”
Donda West died in 2007 at age 58 following complications associated with surgery. Her influence has remained prominent in Ye’s work, including songs such as “Hey Mama” and “Only One,” as well as his 2021 album Donda, which was named in her honor.
Ye attended the ceremony and joined 7th Ward Ald. Greg Mitchell in unveiling the new street sign, but did not address the media during the ceremony. The designation is located near the two-story South Shore home where he grew up and where he and childhood friends made music. Ye purchased the property in 2018 after it faced demolition, helping preserve a significant location from his early life and career.
West spent more than two decades teaching at Chicago State University, where she chaired the English Department and founded the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing. Speakers at the ceremony emphasized that her influence extended beyond her academic career, particularly through her relationships with the young artists who gathered at the family’s South Shore home while Ye was developing his music career. Chicago Public Schools board member and rapper Che “Rhymefest” Smith described West as “a woman who raised a community of boys.”
Family members, former colleagues, local officials and several of Ye’s longtime friends attended the event. Among them were Rhymefest, Don “Don C” Crawley, GLC and Warren “Really Doe” Trotter, who recalled West’s support for their music, education and personal development. Speakers also highlighted her business experience, including her involvement with Ye’s early business ventures and her real estate holdings in Chicago.
Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com
