Drake, the chart-topping bi-racial Jewish rapper from Canada, has been making an impact of the inclusion and diversity space for years.
By excelling in his career and always proudly representing his heritage, he has opened racial and ethnic barriers on many stuck on color lines.
Now, an organization that fights for the rights of another underrepresented population is stepping up to give him flowers for bringing their humanity to the international forefront.
Wheelchairs 4 Kidswants the world to know that to the people that they advocate for the Champagne Papi (whose birth name is Aubrey Graham) as a superhero.
“But why?” you may be asking.
Long before Drake linked with Lil Wayne and Young Money, he was on a little show called “Degrassi.”
On “Degrassi,” he played a character named James “Jimmy” Brooks, an affluent student gifted with varsity level basketball skills. During the third season, after a school shooting, he was left disabled and unable to walk. This left him in a wheelchair for the rest of the series.
Despite that tragic accident that could have cost him his life on the show, Drake’s portrayal of Jimmy has triumphant — showcasing him as a leader and an important part of the community.
Madeline Robinson, the executive director of Wheelchairs for Kids, said that Drake (even before his celebrity) made having a wheelchair cool for kids and fulfilled the community’s need for representation.
Rhetorically Robinson asked, “When was the last time you went to a mall and saw a kid in a wheelchair hanging out with other kids?”
“It is great when we see our kids being represented,” she continued.
The role was initially a challenge for young Drake. As a teen/young adult, he was unsure about how the role would impact his career.
He reportedly thought that acting gig would make him look soft to his rap counterparts.
It is alleged that he even took legal action to stop the plot from playing out. But eventually, the “God’s Plan” rapper yielded that being in a wheelchair on TV was important for people to see.