Kehlani Calls Out Cornell After Being Dropped Over Pro-Palestine Stance
Kehlani defended her pro-Palestine activism and rejected accusations of antisemitism after Cornell University scrapped her headlining performance at its Slope Day event scheduled for May 7.
The R&B artist, who uses she/they pronouns, responded in a TikTok video, standing beside her Jewish-Palestinian best friend and Jewish studio engineer, firmly stating, “I am being asked and called to clarify and make a statement yet again for the millionth time that I am not antisemitic nor anti-Jew.”
She continued, “I am anti-genocide, I am anti the actions of the Israeli government, I am anti an extermination of an entire people, I’m anti the bombing of innocent children, men, women – that’s what I’m anti.”
Cornell President Michael I. Kotlikoff emailed students and faculty to inform them that the university had canceled Kehlani’s appearance after receiving “grave concerns” from the community.
He cited her alleged “espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments” on social media and in her music videos.
Kehlani, who has been outspoken in support of Palestine since the Israel-Hamas conflict escalated in October 2023, said the accusations were an attempt to silence her.
She noted her collaboration with Jewish Voice for Peace, a progressive Jewish organization advocating for Palestinian rights.
In the caption of her TikTok post, Kehlani wrote, “ITS BEEN OVER A YEAR. from day one it’s been clear. I know you’ve seen Cornell University cancel my show, and now there are attempts at other cancellations on top of the cancellations I’ve already experienced over the past year… Don’t make it anti-Jew. This is a played out game. All this because we want people to stop dying (sic).”
Kehlani also visibly supported Palestine by performing in front of the Palestinian flag in the music video for her 2024 song “Next 2 U.”
Cornell’s Slope Day event is still scheduled to take place on May 7, despite Kehlani’s absence from the lineup.