The month was cancelled this month after Kehlani and Noname's upcoming New York annual Eumberstage concert series - the first pressure from Mayor Eric Adams' office - 13 City Council members condemned his office's actions in a letter urging organizers to urge organizers to resume performances and “to your public values, open values, announce a variety of remarks and act in the speech, and announce the announcement of willingness to announce and act. The letter, specifically with Rolling stonesintroduced the Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the City Parks Foundation, which chairs Summerstage.
Kehlani and Noname have been voice supporters of Palestinians when Israel’s war against Hamas caused massive casualties and hunger. Earlier this month, Kehlani's "Summerstage" performance was scheduled to celebrate pride on June 26. After the first deputy mayor Randy Mastro wrote to the City Park Foundation, "we have safety concerns about the incident, given the performance scheduled around Kehlani at Cornell University (which led to the cancellation of the appearance of university officials)." In cancelling the show, President Cornell accused Kehlani of expressing "anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli sentiment" and the artist who used her and the pronoun was refuted.
Mastro's letter to the City Parks Foundation cited concerns about additional safety logistics and prompted the foundation to respond within a day before the mayor's office decides whether to conduct a New York City Police Department (NYPD) investigation. Mastro wrote that if the NYPD finds “serious security issues,” the office will have to determine the “status of the foundation’s license.” City Park subsequently canceled the show and wrote on Instagram: "We firmly believe in various artistic expressions. However, the safety and security of our guests and artists is crucial, and in view of these concerns, the concert has been cancelled." Thirteen opposing council members said the Adams administration's intervention "has severely abused the mayor's power and blatant art censorship."
Days after Kehlani canceled, Noname was cancelled in honor of Junteenth's performance, although both City Parks and the mayor's office said they had no choice, pointing to Concert Producter Live Nation and Noname Hellself. "There is no reason to cancel," Heather Lubov, executive director of the City Parks Foundation, said in a statement. Noname's representative did not return Rolling stonesRequest for comment at the time.
“It seems that the cancellation of Kehlani and Noname’s show has nothing to do with ‘security issues’ and has nothing to do with the artist’s political views on the devastating bombing of Gaza MPs and the humanitarian crisis,” led by parliamentary members Tiffany Cabán and Nantasha Williams’ New York state legislators Tiffany Cabán and Nantasha Williams. “This moment is about New York City’s representatives and whether we will unite against the growing wave of threats and a new era of McCarthyism, threatening everyone’s ability to participate in public discourse fairly.”
The letter from the council members noted that Summerstage was partially publicly funded and its website promised to "celebrate the diversity of our city" and called the city's parks "the most fundamental public place." The letter was followed by: “None of these values supports the silence and repression of black and brown artists and the cancellation of pride and teenage celebrations.”
However, the Council members promised that they would support the Foundation if they took action to reverse the cancellation of the concert. “This letter reminds people that if your organization chooses to stand with everyday New Yorkers, they will share with you the vision of your thriving parks and thriving community – as you said – 'for anyone and everyone.
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