(NEW YORK)— In response to reporting that the City Parks Foundation canceled a Summer Stage Pride benefit concert with Kehlani after pressure from a member of Congress and the Mayor’s office, PEN America issued the following comments from Jonathan Friedman, managing director, U.S. Free Expression Programs:
“A free society demands a fierce defense of free speech — not the cowardly cancellation of it. It is deeply unsettling to see elected officials using their offices to dictate the bounds of acceptable expression and muscling private entities to fall into line. No one wins when politicians meddle to suppress artistic expression.”
In a post on Instagram, Summer Stage stated the decision to cancel Kehlani came after concerns voiced by the Mayor’s Office over “security and safety,” and because of controversy related to the recent cancellation of another concert by Kehlani at Cornell University. The decision also follows a demand by Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York that public funding of the event be revoked; Mayor Eric Adams responded to this demand on X last week.
At both Cornell and Summer Stage, those calling for Kehlani’s cancellation have justified it on the basis of opposition to comments about Israel and Palestine, which some view as antisemitic. Kehlani has since rejected the allegations of antisemitism, stating: “I am anti-genocide, I am anti the actions of the Israeli government.”
Last month, PEN America said the cancellation of the concert at Cornell set a “dangerous precedent for campus censorship.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], 201-247-5057