Twitter

#DCPublicSchools Trends on Twitter After Dave Chappelle, John Oliver Joke at Emmys

John Oliver sparked the trending hashtag during his acceptance speech for the Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series award

D.C. Public Schools is having a moment in the spotlight.

Comedian Dave Chappelle brought attention to the school system while presenting at the Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday alongside actress and comedian Melissa McCarthy.

"Now I'm going to read this teleprompter. Please forgive me. Shoutout to D.C. Public Schools. Here we go," Chappelle said after admitting to the crowd he didn't show up for rehearsal.

Then, comedian John Oliver sparked the trending hashtag during his acceptance speech for the Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series award.

"Like Dave Chapelle, I would like to unexpectedly thank D.C. Public Schools because I think it would be great if it started trending tonight on Twitter for no reason whatsoever. So, if you're tweeting about the Emmys at home, please use the hashtag D.C. Public Schools," Oliver said.

From there, #DCPublicSchools took off. 

Even the official D.C. Public Schools account joined in on the joke.

Duke Ellington high school students and faculty said they loved that Chappelle, a 1991 graduate, mentioned his home school system. 

"It's very encouraging and motivational for us students to know that people who have gone on to do great things still care about us,"  said Jayna Brown, a junior at the school.

Director of Arts Tracie Jenkins said Chappelle's remarks were another example of his support for students. 

"I'm not surprised. He's extremely supportive of Duke Ellington and the entire DCPS system," she said. 

Jenkins said Chappelle, who she went to the school with herself, is set to make a visit there "soon." He has several performances scheduled at the Warner Theatre Sept. 19 through Sept. 30. 

A representative for Chappelle did not immediately respond to an inquiry. 

Contact Us