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<h1 class="title" id="page-title">"Raise the flags for freedom,"
says rapper Sacramento Knoxx</h1>
<div class="submitted">
<span property="dc:date dc:created"
content="2014-08-28T08:52:05+00:00" datatype="xsd:dateTime"
rel="sioc:has_creator">Submitted by <span class="username"
xml:lang="" about="/users/alexander-billet"
typeof="sioc:UserAccount" property="foaf:name" datatype="">Alexander
Billet</span> on Thu, 08/28/2014 - 08:52<br>
<br>
<b><big>Must see video is here:</big></b><br>
<b><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/alexander-billet/raise-flags-freedom-says-rapper-sacramento-knoxx">http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/alexander-billet/raise-flags-freedom-says-rapper-sacramento-knoxx</a></small></b><br>
<br>
</span> </div>
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<p>For a long time, there has been a strong sense of solidarity
between the Palestinians and the indigenous peoples of North
America. The late activist Russell Means <a
href="http://www.kabobfest.com/2009/01/american-indian-movement-on-palestine.html">explained</a>
the connection in simple, but potent, terms in 2009: “Every
policy, the Palestinians are now enduring was practiced on the
American Indian. What the American Indian movement says is that
the American Indians are the Palestinians of the United States
and the Palestinians are the American Indians of the Middle
East.” </p>
<p>If Israel’s project is a colonial-settler one (and it is), then
the systematic genocide and displacement America and Canada have
exacted upon their indigenous populations provide a disturbing
parallel.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sknoxx.com/">Sacramento Knoxx</a> looks to
emphasize this connection in his most recent video <em>The
Trees Will Grown Again</em>. The Detroit-based artist, born
Christopher Yepez, <a
href="http://www.sknoxx.com/#%21skbio/c1zhu">identifies</a> himself
as “an Ojibwe/Anishinaabe and Xicano emcee, music producer,
motion picture artist, digital media artist and community
cultural worker.” The bold graphics at the beginning of the
video — “Turtle Island 2 Palestine,” “indigenous solidarity,”
the highlighting of the world “colonization” in the factoid
regarding aid to Israel — make the statement as clear as
possible. (Turtle Island is the name by which North America is
known to many indigenous peoples). </p>
<p>Knoxx <a
href="http://hiphoplifeandtimes.com/2014/08/10/sacramento-knoxx-ft-dj-dez-the-trees-will-grow-again-video-audio-dl-sacramentoknoxx-freepalestine/">said</a>
recently that he was seeking to build “solidarity with Palestine
through cultural work”; his video supports the Palestinian-led
movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against
Israel. He also argued that a “joint struggle” is needed against
ecological destruction. Towards the end, his video highlights
how the oppression of the Palestinians is directly related to
the militarization of US police, many of whom have been <a
href="http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/rania-khalek/israel-trained-police-occupy-missouri-after-killing-black-youth">trained</a>
by Israel.</p>
<p>That was certainly a prescient way to end the video given the
images of police brutality that have emerged from Ferguson,
Missouri since the song’s release. It’s appropriate then (in a
way that’s almost eerie) that the video also includes footage of
the <a
href="http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/charlotte-silver/oakland-unveils-mural-solidarity-palestine">new
mural in Oakland </a>dedicated to Palestine by the famed Black
Panter artist Emory Douglas, as well as posters in support of
the Palestinian-American community leader <a
href="http://electronicintifada.net/tags/rasmea-yousef-odeh">Rasmea
Odeh</a>. </p>
<p>The sense of all the struggles being interconnected is rather
unmistakable here.</p>
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<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863.9977
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.freedomarchives.org">www.freedomarchives.org</a>
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