In Honor of Malcolm X: Resources for a Liberated Palestine

By Sapelo Square

Today marks the 99th birthday of Malcolm X/El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, one of the greatest leaders for justice we have ever known. After leaving the Nation of Islam, he founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) that welcomed “all persons of African origin to come together to dedicate their ideas, skills and lives to free our people from oppression.” However, he also opposed mistreatment of all oppressed people of color globally, especially that of the Palestinians, having visited the Gaza Strip in 1964. He called out Zionist ideologies and their root causes, making connections to the plight of African Americans in the United States, furthering Black and Palestinian solidarity. 

To amplify global efforts, we are compiling resources for those invested in continuing the fight to see a liberated Palestine. From individuals lifting their voices in media or holding gatherings for organizing, to organizations sending aid to our brothers and sisters in Palestine, as well as courageous students and professors protesting on college campuses, millions are creating or contributing to spaces that educate, support and advocate for a ceasefire and an end to the occupation and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. 

The closing quote of the OAAU’s leaflet reads: “Be A Builder – Not A Beggar.” 

Sapelo Square is committed to help strengthen the collective efforts of justice and solidarity for all communities of color in honor of the legacy of Malcolm X/El Hajj Malik El Shabazz.  

Editor’s Note: This list will be updated periodically, but is in no way exhaustive. Use the information provided as a step to seek knowledge, show support or find support for yourself and others. Please share freely and leave comments for organizations, initiatives and campaigns that should be added. 

ARTISTIC EXPRESSION/INSPIRATION

• An Elegy for Gaza by Oludamini Ogunnaike
• Audubon by Tariq Toure, author and poet.
• God is Love by Omar Offendum, “a Syrian-American rapper/spoken word artist.”

 

CAMPAIGNS

• American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) has an ongoing campaign to boycott the purchase of dates from Israel produced on “illegal Israeli settlements, from stolen Palestinian land, with stolen natural resources” while also “using exploited Palestinian labor.”

 

FILM & TELEVISION

The Center for Global Muslim Life presents a list of films on Palestine you can stream through various platforms.

 

FURTHER READING & INFORMATION – Here is a short list of readings to get you started. We have intentionally used links to bookshop.org and recommend that folks support independent booksellers, particularly local ones, as much as possible.

• Haymarket Books offers four free ebooks on Palestinian history, movements and personal narratives to provide further insight. You can download the ebooks here. 
• Black Power and Palestine by Michael R. Fischbach
• Freedom Is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis 
• Except for Palestine by Marc Lamont Hill & Mitchell Plitnick
• On Palestine by Noam Chomsky & Ilan Pappé
• South Africa filed a case against Israel for the crime of genocide. Read South Africa’s 84-page application to the International Court of Justice. You can also view the oral arguments presented by South Africa on January 11, 2024, here.
• Israel Massacres is a website dedicated to “documenting Israeli atrocities against Palestinians”. Their “…aim is to give a voice to the voiceless, and raise awareness of the need for international action to ensure Palestinian people are finally free of brutal occupation and colonization.”

 

LEGAL RESOURCES

Palestine Legal “protects the civil and constitutional rights of people in the U.S. who speak out for Palestinian freedom.” You can request legal support or advice here.

The Islamic Scholarship Fund (ISF) an organization that “increases American Muslim representation in media and government to improve public policy and public opinion”, compiled a list of resources for Palestine Student Protestors that can be found here.

 

MEDIA RESOURCES

The Islamic Scholarship Fund (ISF) and ReThink Media, whose “mission is to build movements through media and communications”, partnered to supply students with media resources to amplify pro-Palestininan voices, addressing media bias in campus reporting that can be found here.

 

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES 

• Maristan, an organization that intersects mental health and faith by providing “culturally sensitive counseling, educational resources and community engagement opportunities,” presents the  Mental Health Guidebook for Those Concerned About Palestine, authored by the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab. The guide “provides a resource for understanding the historical and geopolitical contexts surrounding the ongoing genocide against Palestinians. Further, it delves into the multiple layers of trauma experienced by both generations of Palestinians and Muslims currently witnessing the unfolding tragedies.”
• Rūh Care is “the largest global therapist directory of Muslim therapists, aiming to help clients find therapists aligned with their values.” Currently, Rūh Care is offering  free therapy services to “anyone impacted by the crisis in Palestine, whether Palestinian or not, anywhere worldwide outside Palestine.”

 

MOVEMENTS 

• Palestinian Youth Movement is a “transnational, independent, grassroots movement of young Palestinians dedicated to the liberation of our homeland and people.”
• Jewish Voice for Peace is “the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world.” 
• BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) What is BDS? “The BDS movement works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.” Here is an overview of Israeli Settler Colonialism and Apartheid by BDS. 
• The Jericho Movement, “is a movement with the defined goal of gaining recognition of the fact that political prisoners and prisoners of war exist inside of the United States, despite the United States’ government’s continued denial…and winning amnesty and freedom for these political prisoners.” The Jericho Movement posted the Palestine Solidarity Principles of Unity on its site and has been a staunch advocate of Black and Palestinian solidarity.
• MPower Action is “the policy and advocacy front of MPower Change. Through grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, joint actions and more – we are able to build support to get closer to a world that is more equitable for all.”
• American Muslims for Palestine “is a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing the movement for justice in Palestine by educating the American public about Palestine and its rich cultural, historical and religious heritage and through grassroots mobilization and advocacy.”

 

ORGANIZATIONS ON THE GROUND

• Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) “founded in 1991 by concerned humanitarians in the USA, provides free medical care to thousands of injured and ill children yearly who lack local access to care within the local health care system.” 
• Baitulmaal “provides life-saving, life-sustaining and life-enriching humanitarian aid to under-served populations around the world regardless of faith or nationality” including Gaza and countries in East Africa.

 

SECURITY

Equality Labs “is a transnational South Asian feminist organization working at the cutting-edge intersections of organizing, art, and digital security to end caste apartheid, gender-based violence, Islamophobia, and religious intolerance” and has complied Advanced Release: Anti-Doxing Guide 3.0 to support activists around the world who may be a target for resisting all forms of harassment, including white supremacy. 

 

SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY

Free Graphics: bit.ly/Pal-Art (obtained from MPower Action).

 

VIDEOS

• Why Black People Should Care About Palestinian Liberation | A Word | The Root 
• The Limits and Possibilities of Black-Palestinian Transnational Solidarity held at the University of Michigan
• Black Jerusalem: Race, Solidarity and Justice in Palestine – “On December 7, 2023, Dr. Otis Moss III, Dima Khalidi, and Dr. Marc Lamont Hill joined the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) for a panel discussion on the current ethnic cleansing in Palestine and how this global conflict connects to Black American issues in our own backyard.”