Kehlani was supposed to headline Slope Day at Cornell this spring, but now she won’t be performing because of her outspoken views about Israel and Gaza.
When Kehlani got picked to perform, a lot of students were excited, but not everyone agreed; soon after the announcement, some people started saying they felt upset and confused about her being chosen. Michael I. Kotlikoff, the university president, sent an email that showed up online where he explained that Slope Day is meant for everyone to have fun together and not feel split apart. He said, “Unfortunately, although it was not the intention, the selection of Kehlani as this year’s headliner has injected division and discord into Slope Day.” So now they’re looking for someone new to take her spot for 2025.
After Kehlani was announced as the main act, a group called Cornellians for Israel quickly made a petition asking for her removal. They didn’t like some things she posted on social media or in her music videos—like in “Next 2 U,” which starts with “Long Live the Intifada.” That word means uprising in Arabic; sometimes it’s about fighting against unfair treatment but it also reminds people of violent protests between Palestinians and Israelis.
Fans think picking musicians is always tricky because someone will probably get mad no matter what.
Kehlani has been speaking out against Israel’s actions in Gaza for a long time and often supports Palestinians publicly. The war got worse after October 7th last year when Hamas attacked and killed over 1,000 Israelis. There was a ceasefire early this year but it didn’t last; fighting started again by March. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 51,000 Palestinians have died from Israel’s attacks so far.
All this happened while President Trump’s administration is making strict rules about free speech at colleges—especially when students protest against Israel or talk about Gaza—and even froze over $1 billion from Cornell while checking if there’s antisemitism happening on campus.
