Kehlani, an artist who has publicly supported Palestinians, will no longer perform at a scheduled Cornell University concert next month. The institution’s president, Michael I. Kotlikoff, announced the cancellation of the May 7 event, part of the school’s “Slope Day” celebration after the last day of classes, in an open letter on Thursday. In it, he alleged the R&B singer, who uses she and they pronouns, “espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media.”
The decision came weeks after the White House froze $1 billion in funding for the university, according to The New York Times, as the Trump administration investigates on-campus antisemitism.
“The selection of Kehlani as this year’s headliner has injected division and discord into Slope Day,” Kotlikoff wrote. “For that reason, I am rescinding Kehlani’s invitation and expect a new lineup for a great 2025 Slope Day to be announced shortly.” The New York Times reports that the school’s president previously claimed time had run out to replace the singer.
A rep for Kehlani did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment.
Last year, the artist prominently featured Palestinian flags and dancers wearing keffiyehs in her “Next 2 U” music video. The YouTube post of the song included a link to an Al Jazeera article listing names of some 16,800 children it reports Israel has killed since October 2023. The music video also included the phrase, “Long Live the Intifada.” The Times reports that some people view the word intifada, which means rebellion, as calling for violence against Israelis and Jews, while pro-Palestinian activists see it as a call for liberation.
Kotlikoff wrote that he met with students and the Slope Day Programming Board to inform his decision. The Board members, he wrote, “agree that this selection has compromised what is meant to be an inclusive event.”
Cornellians for Israel, a group that represents on-campus advocacy for Israel, praised Kotlikoff’s decision on Instagram. “Cornell made the right call, and it’s thanks to thousands of students, alumni, and community members who spoke out,” it wrote. “No student should be made to fund or attend a celebration led by someone openly hostile to their identity.” The group had led a GoFundMe drive to raise money for a replacement performer.
The Times quoted Muna Mohamed, co-chair of Black Students United at Cornell, who voiced disappointment about the cancellation. “It was kind of like, oh, our happiness never really mattered in the long run,” she said.
Before classes began last fall, the Times reports, pro-Palestinian demonstrators broke a glass door and spray-painted buildings with phrases like, “Israel bombs, Cornell pays.”
Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas insurgents killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds hostage, war has been ongoing between Israel and Hamas. Last month, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that more than 50,000 people had died in Gaza during Israel’s attacks, according to Reuters. On-campus protests against the war in 2024 have since come under scrutiny by the Trump administration.
