When They Call You a Terrorist

Intersectional Struggles

Did you know that there were Palestinians in Ferguson? There were, and not just by chance. A group of Palestinians actually flew to Missouri during the riots of 2014 to meet with the protesters and give them training and advice— such as to use milk instead of water when tear gas gets in your eyes.

It was appropriate for so many reason that Palestinians were present in Ferguson, not the least of which being that the Ferguson police department had connections to the IDF. In addition, the Ferguson protests were happening at the same time as Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, which killed over 2000 Palestinians. The struggle to be seen as human, the struggle to convince others that your life and the lives of your people matter, this is a struggle that Palestinians and Black people in America shared then, and still share to this day.

Last year, I picked up a book about the origins of the Black Lives Matter movement— When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, by Patrisse Khan-Cullors. At the time I purchased the book, it was the title that struck me. It was shortly after October 7, 2023, and my defense of the Palestinian people was eliciting some rather shocking accusations from people I thought were my friends. I had been called a Hamas supporter and a Hamas sympathizer— just shy of being called a terrorist myself— and so I felt drawn to the title of the book.

Many months later, I finally got around to reading the book, and what I find most striking about it now are the parallels between the African American experience and the Palestinian experience. This was perhaps most evident when the author tells the story of the police raiding her house in the middle of the night, evoking images of night raids in Palestine.

All of this got me thinking about the intersectional struggles we are all facing right now. So many people are under threat, and it can feel overwhelming. But it’s also important to remember that to struggle for justice in any way is to send ripple effects throughout these intersecting threads. To affirm that black lives matter is also to affirm that Palestinian lives matter, and that trans lives matter, and that indigenous lives matter. To work against apartheid in Palestine is to have ones eyes opened to apartheid-like systems here in the United States, where there is one system for the wealthy and white, and one system for the poor and expendable. To work to decolonize Palestine opens ones eyes to the need to decolonize our own systems here in the United States.

It’s impossible to do this work without seeing so many connections to the larger struggle for justice and peace in the world. It truly is a web of mutuality, just as Dr. King said. The encouraging thing about that is that while victories may feel few and far between these days, every single victory won strengthens that web of mutuality. Even the small victories. Maybe even especially the small victories.

So celebrate the wins, no matter how small or insignificant they might seem, and in the words of Margaret Atwood— don’t let the bastards get you down. When we stand together, we are strong and resilient, and that’s how we will ultimately win.