How can the Palestinian struggle for freedom and dignity take lessons from the Black Liberation Movement? Historical circumstances are clearly different yet there are similarities. Both are located in a colonial-like situation, where a powerful oppressor oppresses another less powerful group. Racism is a major factor. The Black Liberation Movement and Malcolm X’s eloquent voice and militant politics resonate with Palestinians struggling for their freedom. Liberation struggles are not easy. Resistance to change is entrenched. Power does not readily give up its prerogatives.
Eugene Puryear is a journalist, activist and public speaker. He is a founding member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. He is the host and producer of BreakThrough News. He is the author of Shackled and Chained: Mass Incarceration in Capitalist America.