Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared December 18 as Jack Harlow Day, with the prolific rapper and Atherton High School alumni recently returning to the city for his “No Place Like Home” tour. Harlow has put Kentucky on the map in terms of music and modern culture. Ever since his breakout hit “What’s Poppin,” he has given the young people of Louisville a positive role model to inspire others, as well as a success story for people to strive towards. His contributions to the community and his nature of altruism have endeared him to many, and this holiday is a way to fully immortalize Harlow and what he stands for.

In early December, Western Kentucky was devastated by tornadoes and over 77 people lost their lives. Jack Harlow partnered with KFC and Yum Brands to donate a total of around $250,000 for the Red Cross, who were heavily involved with the clean up and restoration of towns such as Mayfield which were hit hardest. 

Just a week later, Harlow went on a surprise pilgrimage back to where his career started, Atherton High School. Students piled into lines just for the chance to hug, take a photo or just say hi to what is likely the school’s most iconic former student. He stayed around for over 4 hours, visiting his old teachers and giving a speech about how his mindset was shaped with the school’s walls. He told students to think big, to never give up on their dreams and to stay clean of vices and other distractions.

Last March, Jack Harlow won a charity rapper basketball game to donate to his cause of choice. He decided on two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Simmons College and Kentucky State University. He gave the universities a combined $500,000, and overall helped promote lesser known options for minority students.

He also spent time during the Breonna Taylor protests on the front lines, and frequently speaks out against social issues in a genuine way, such as when he profusely apologized and helped fix a situation in Atlanta where a young black woman was denied entry to his concert by aggressive police enforcement. 

In the end, there is no doubt that Harlow has been a constant and reoccuring figure in Louisville and even around the country.

Jack Harlow is a refreshing new take on Louisville culture, and he’s made his mark on the city, worthy of Jack Harlow Day.

Featured image by Danny Howe used under Unsplash license.