On 143 E. State St. in the center of Ithaca Commons, you will find The Yellow Deli, a restaurant that specializes in traditional sandwiches, salads, soups and tea. The deli is owned by the 12 Tribes, a group that has existed for over a half century and self-describes itself as “an emerging spiritual nation… made up of self-governing communities.” Really, it’s an international cult that professes morally objectionable beliefs.
Recently, there has been much angst over the inclusion of The Yellow Deli on Cornell Dining’s City Bucks meal program — which which allows you to use a Cornell ID at various stores and eateries around Ithaca. This addition comes despite . This addition comes despite the intercontinental religious group beingbeing considered by the Southern Poverty Law Center to hold white supremacist and homophobic beliefs along with a concerning track record relating to child labor and child abuse. I’m not sure why, but Cornell gives visibility to a racist, homophobic cult by letting you use your City Bucks there.
The inclusion of a restaurant owned by such a group on a Cornell Dining Plan is deeply hypocritical for a University that trumpets “any person, any study.” I would be shocked if more than a tiny fraction of the Cornell population aligned their beliefs with those of the twelve tribes…