Kehlani removed from Slope Day lineup due to pro-Palestine views
Vocalist Kehlani has been dropped as a headliner from Cornell University’s Slope Day concert due to her political views in support of Palestine. Universities across America have come under heavy scrutiny for allowing protests criticising Israel’s conduct in Palestine, and Kehlani has been very outspoken in her opinions about the war.
Slope Day is a Cornell tradition that celebrates undergraduate graduation. Now, the University’s president, Michael I. Kotlikoff, sent an email to students revealing that Kehlani will no longer perform at Slope Day.
He shared: “Although it was not the intention, the selection of Kehlani as this year’s headliner has injected division and discord into Slope Day. For that reason, I am rescinding Kehlani’s invitation and expect a new lineup to be announced shortly.”
Kotlikoff cited concerns from students, faculty, and alumni who viewed Kehlani’s recent political statements and actions as incendiary and anti-semitic. Explaining this, the president wrote, “Many are angry, hurt, and confused that Slope Day would feature a performer who has espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media.”
Kehlani has made various statements about the war, including in one of her music videos. The university’s society, Cornellians for Israel, recently started a petition to have her banned and cited the music video of her 2024 track ‘Next 2 U’.
The music video features the text “Long Live the Intifada”, an Arabic phrase used to denote uprisings by Palestinians against Israelis, which often cause deaths. This controversy arrives amid increasing scrutiny of universities by the government surrounding antisemitism.
The current Trump administration has already launched investigations into several universities, including Cornell, which recently had over $1 billion of its funds frozen.