WASHINGTON (TND) - In an attempt to transform controversy surrounding him into something beneficial, comedian Dave Chappelle is urging his critics to donate to his old high school and therefore stop it from renaming its theater after him.

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington D.C. was planning on renaming its theater after Chappelle before controversy around his recent Netflix comedy special "The Closer" pressured the school to delay the renaming until April.

The delay apparently gave Chappelle time to hatch a plan.

"Talk is cheap (Unless I do it)," Chappelle begins his statement, made by superimposing text to several images and then posting to his Instagram.

The comedian starts out his statement with praise for the school, saying "within those walls I found a context to explore my creativity seriously."

Chappelle says the school, "in large part", prepared him to be the comedian he is today.

"It was a fine institution before any of it’s current occupants got there. God willing, it will be a fine institution long after their tenure is done," Chappelle continues. "My only intent is to insure Duke Ellington the opportunity to train it’s artists, unfettered."

And to that end, Chappelle is willing to gamble his legacy. He's putting up the honor of having the school's theater named after him, if his critics donate more to the school than his supporters.

"Having the theater named after me is a great honor. Although, that was not my idea, aim or desire. At the request of our beloved school’s founder Peggy Cooper Cafritz, I accepted," Chappelle explains. "In April, I intend to honor that request. If you object to my receiving this honor, I urge you to donate to the school, noting your objection. If you are in favor of the theater being named, ‘Chappelle,’ I urge you to donate to the school, noting your approval."

Whichever donation pool receives the most money, wins, Chappelle says.

If the do's outnumber the don'ts, Chappelle promises to happily attend the naming ceremony in his honor. If not, the comedian says he will "gladly step aside".

And if people don't care enough to donate? The comedian politely asks those people to "please, shut the f--k up, forever".