YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio (AP) \u2014 Dave Chappelle<\/a><\/span> strolled through the Ohio village\u2019s downtown like he always does: unbothered, unhurried and unmistakably himself.<\/p>\n There was no stage, no spotlight \u2014 just Yellow Springs, where he\u2019s lived for decades, a place he spent summers as a child while his father worked as dean of students at nearby Antioch College.<\/p>\n It\u2019s in places like this, away from the glare, where Chappelle finds clarity and continues to sharpen a comedic voice that has sparked debate,<\/a><\/span> drawn criticism and, through it all, refused to bend.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of support from my people,\u201d said Chappelle, an Emmy and Grammy winner. \u201cThat\u2019s what\u2019s sustained me.\u201d <\/p>\n He sat down with The Associated Press before walking through the town, where he\u2019d recently participated in the ribbon-cutting for a restored 19th-century schoolhouse<\/a><\/span> that now houses a public radio station and will serve as office space for his company, Pilot Boy Productions. <\/p>\n Chappelle said he didn\u2019t initially expect his voice to carry the weight it does today.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes people will attach things to your voice that don\u2019t necessarily have anything to do with you,\u201d he said. \u201cYour responsibility is to be true to yourself and your work.\u201d<\/p>\n That voice has become one of the most scrutinized in comedy, particularly after criticism of jokes about transgender people in his Netflix specials<\/a><\/span>. The backlash surrounding \u201cThe Closer\u201d in 2021 drew protests and internal pushback<\/a><\/span> at Netflix, turning his work into a flashpoint in broader debates over comedy, culture and free speech. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\nEnduring the backlash over his jokes<\/h2>\n