Abstract

Abstract:

The Ferguson–Gaza moment, characterized by the concurrent bombardment of Gaza and occupation of Ferguson in the summer of 2014, catalyzed a renewal of Black–Palestinian solidarity as an analytical framework and political practice. During its apex from the late 1960s through the early 1980s, Black–Palestinian solidarity emerged from the crucible of a Third World upheaval and framed racism and colonialism as entwined and co-constitutive structures of domination. Drawing on the stories of four key Palestinian American activists who helped forge Black–Palestinian solidarity in the Ferguson–Gaza moment, together with reflections of key Black activists, this essay shows that a critical germ for current renewals developed among Palestinian Americans in response to white supremacy. Black–Palestinian intimacies together with critical encounters with anti-Black racism mobilized these interlocutors to align with Black communities in solidarity and joint struggle for liberation. These stories help reveal that US white supremacy is a critical and catalyzing force of transnational solidarity. They also signal how Black–Palestinian solidarity continues to function as a political analytic targeting imperialism, rather than a form of identity politics. Finally, a structure of intimacy helped develop articulations of Black–Palestinian solidarity outside the context of a Third World revolt, thus indicating that contemporary renewals constitute an “independent historical conjuncture.”

pdf

Share