Jaylen Brown may have officially ended his relationship with Donda Sports this week, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have lingering concerns with the future of Donda Academy, a school run by rapper Kanye West. Brown has been vocal about his on-going support for the students and families affected by the school’s abrupt closure.
Donda Academy is a private school set up by West in September of 2022. Yesterday parents received word the school would be closing for the year, though that decision may have been changed. For now, Donda’s students – and its basketball program – are left without answers.
West, who now goes by “Ye,” has seen numerous business relationships cut following antisemitic comments made online and on radio. Brown joined the Gap, Adidas, and others in severing ties with West. West claims he saw his net worth drop by several billion dollars as a result.
Brown took to Twitter to advocate for the Donda Academy students and players. Friday night he was asked about his support and why he wants to help ensure the Donda students and players can succeed moving forward.
Following Boston’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Brown was asked about his choice to leave Donda earlier this week. He reiterated his brand and likiness no longer aligned with Donda.
“What would happen if I stayed?” Jaylen said. “I work hard to be able to have the platform that I have, and use it to be a voice for the voiceless. So to potentially have to sacrifice that platform, I think I made the right decision.”
More to the point, Jaylen spoke about his concern for the Donda Academy families and students. He had spent the day tweeting about how unfair some of the decisions being made were for this population.
“These kids have nothing to do with what’s really going on.” Brown said. “They don’t deserve to abruptly have their season end or abruptly have their school year cut or diminished because of the actions of others. The only thing they’re guilty of is trying to get a unique opportunity to get ahead in life.”
Brown has been specifically concerned with students missing out on educational opportunities, as well as basketball experience. ESPN reported that Donda has been disinvited from some high school tournaments despite a team of promising, high-level recruits. Brown has discussed raising funds in support of these athletes.
“I’ve been trying to lean in and to get resources together to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Brown said.
Brown’s relationship with the Donda Sports brand may have ended this week, but it appears the former All-Star has deeper roots within Donda Academy. He spoke about the role Donda Academy was designed to play, far beyond its affiliation with West.
“To me, it’s a school with kids, with parents, with teachers, all with names and faces that I got to work with. So I look at that situation differently. And I plan to use my platform and make sure that those kids get what was promised to them. Education is key.”
Jaylen Brown has long focused on education as a critical part of the world we live in and impacting positive change. He’s partnered with MIT to provide opportunities to underprivileged populations. He’s worked with Harvard and Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, too.
“I’m gonna continue to fight for those kids and fight for kids in neighborhoods that don’t necessarily have people fighting for them.” Brown said Friday night. “These kids have nothing do with what’s going on.
“I spent time there, there’s a lot of great families, teachers, and that’s what I see. So I’m gonna try to make sure everything is promised to them, and in the foreseeable future. Anybody who wants to align just contact me.”
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