my heart is full. thank y'all so much for the support. seeing over 17,000 of you kindhearted souls making the effort to help is surreal to say the least. i hope that we can continue to come together to fight for the right cause, which is for the freedom for the indigenous people of palestine. collectivism and community is a beautiful thing.

"We need more light about each other. Light creates understanding, understanding creates love, love creates patience, and patience creates unity.”

- Malcolm X

i only wish that my situation can be a platform and example of the injustices going on with not only students going through similar situations as me but ultimately the discrimination that arabs (and muslims), especially palestinians face on a daily basis.

such as the three college students who were shot in vermont simply because they were wearing a keffiyeh,

the 6 year old palestinian boy who was stabbed 26 times in chicago simply because of his identity

and the beloved imam who was fatally shot outside his mosque in newark, nj

and generally the people of palestine who get hurt and killed on the daily without any media coverage or justice. may all those killed rest in power.

i've told this to many before, but i believe that its heartwarming and inspiring to see that we as people especially us oppressed minority, are finally opening our eyes and seeing how the root of all these things link to white supremacy, imperialism, and colonialism.

as an afro-indigenous individual, i unfortunately have had to experience alot of racism, colorism, and discrimination throughout my life because of the society and system we live in.

one memory was having to see a confederate flag across the street everyday in highschool.

another was having to deal with a lot of racist jokes, and being called n!gger plenty of times because of the color of my skin

ultimately, having hard ice balls thrown at me while someone chanting “black lives matter!” in a mockingly and joking way.

on top of that, having to be insecure of my hair because it was deemed inappropriate by others y "demasiado engreñado."

y tambien teniedo que hablar inglés todo el tiempo porque sino me metia en problema y la sociedad me juzgaban.

when i heard news and saw articles about how i was the aggressor in the situation even though i was assaulted, it reminded me of the many times i was treated and looked at differently throughout my life simply because of my blackness.

i was looked at as aggressive, problematic, and rebellious. i was feared.

even me wearing a durag was considered wrong in their eyes and people was really guarded around me.

i look back now and wonder, what would happen if i even tried to defend myself? i mean i didn't even touch the man and look where i ended up. the double standards is crazy.

 

so yes, as a black man living in the usa,

y yo siendo taino y quisqueyano,

i know what discrimination looks like. 

i know what racism looks like.

i know what xenophobia looks like.

i know what apartheid looks like.

i know what colonization looks like.

its all the same thing yet different targets. its not that hard. connect the dots. common sense. our struggles are linked.

throughout my semester, i was discriminated alot in that campus even though i was just an ally.

i was scolded and yelled at by someone saying, “palestinians are the bad guys!"

i was told by others saying that they didn’t like the palestinian flag i would carry around while walking on campus

i was even approached by someone saying that the people i was supporting were a "bunch of terrorists"

could you imagine if i was actually palestinian?

every approach.

every yell.

every disgusted look.

every questioning.

all that discrimination and hurt i felt only made me think of them.

 

and when having to see such discrimination and such hate allowed against my palestinian friends, to the point where i could see discomfort and insecurity in them when navigating everywhere simply because of their existence, there had to be change.

they deserve a safe space just like the privileged do. estoy harto ya.

 

i call on students like me to continue to be voice for justice and support eachother.

i call on my black sisters, brothers, and queer family to continue walking by their side as they have for us through this battle. because y'all know our ancestors would be proud.

and i call for us as a generation to continue to not only educating eachother but to our younger generations and break the cycle and curses of white supremacy. knowledge is power.

we have the power to make impact.

 

let us be a light and inspire one another to take action, in the name of humanity. 

for there is no peace until there is freedom.

together we are strong.

 

"We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians."

- Nelson Mandela

"The land occupied by zionism belong to the people of Palestine, it’s their land! And knowing that it is an illegal, immoral, and unjust state I understand it cannot succeed… the just people of Palestine will get their land back."

- Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael)

"In my name and the name of all Muslins in America, I declare support for the Palestinian struggle to liberate their homeland and oust the Zionist invaders."

- Muhammad Ali.

 

"Palestine is a moral litmus test for the world"

- Angela Davis

from congo to palestine.

from haiti to palestine.  

from turtle island to palestine.

from south africa to palestine.

from puerto rico to palestine.

from sudan to palestine.

from mexico to palestine. 

from hawaii to palestine.

from panama to palestine. 

from vietnam to palestine.

from guam to palestine. 

from armenia to palestine

occupation is a crime.

from the river to the sea palestine will be free.

el pueblo unido jamás será vencido.

 

with much love,

cesar