Protesters were met by a militarized police force in possession of rifles and batons. The decision not to charge Brown’s killer with murder sparked protests in Ferguson. The communication between Palestinians and Ferguson protesters after Mike Brown was killed is a perfect example of what I referenced above. Panelist Nour Ekart describes this as the “disposability, assault, and destruction of Black American and Palestinian bodies by state power.” This means that while not all Palestinians across the globe may be able to relate specifically to “a Trayvon kinda fate,” Palestinians will be able to relate to their personal space and autonomy being attacked and controlled by militarized forces - similar to how J.Cole’s home was raided by a S.W.A.T team in 4 Your Eyez Only. However there are intersections at how the Palestinian body and Black body are policed within their homes and communities. The Palestinian body is not globally recognized a threat. The Palestinian body is not under this same form of attack. Regardless of how they attempt to make their bodies valuable, they are surveilled and criminalized, even subject to state-sanctioned murder. In “Neighbors” Cole paints an accurate picture of a country where Black people are under attack simply for living. “Neighbors” provides a perfect opportunity to highlight the main commonality and difference between the Black and Palestinian experience. Black Palestinian solidarity is a nuanced, emerging movement. This is a point that was highlighted at the “When I See Them, I See Us” event. Although the Black body is often used as synonymous for various forms of oppression, the analogy is often quite inaccurate. viewpoint, very often the Black body becomes synonymous with any form of oppression. J.Cole speaks from an American perspective, but the criminalization of the Black body is global. In these lyrics, Cole highlights that Black people are constantly mistreated and systematically criminalized regardless of how hard they work to decriminalize their bodies. J.Cole raps:ĭeath / taxes / and a racist society that make / J.Cole’s song “Neighbors” is a narrative of the SWAT team raid referenced above. More interesting that the documentary itself was considering J.Cole’s experiences and these themes alongside the February panel “When I See Them, I See Us: Black Palestinian Solidarity in an Age of Struggle,” part of NYU Gallatin’s Black History Month.
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These two experiences highlight themes of racial discrimination and government militarization.
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He runs into Mike Brown’s older cousin, who chauffeurs him to the memorial. The second scene shows J.Cole attempting to find Mike Brown’s memorial. Ten heavily armed officers, with rifles and bulletproof vests, bang down his front door and shift his security cameras so their actions will remain unseen. The first is when J.Cole’s house is raided by a SWAT team because his neighbors suspected him to be a drug dealer. From the documentary two scenes stand out. It is a short 2016 documentary that consists of J.Cole rapping songs from his most recent album of the same name, spliced with footage from his travels through Greensboro, Alabama, Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Ferguson, Missouri. This past weekend I watched J.Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only.