BMB Applauds Chris Smalls and The Freedom Flotilla
Black Men Build Applauds Chris Smalls and the Freedom Flotilla
Free Chris Smalls!
We applaud the courageous actions of the Freedom Flotilla in their determined efforts to bring food and medical supplies to Gaza to break the mass starvation and illegal blockade of humanitarian aid. We want to specifically highlight Chris Smalls, one of 21 passengers aboard the Freedom Flotilla’s ship, the Handala.
On Saturday, July 26th, as the ship neared Palestine, the Israeli military occupied the ship and kidnapped the activists. Chris Smalls, the only Black passenger aboard the ship, received the worst treatment. He was reportedly choked and kicked, “leaving visible signs of violence on his neck and back.”
Why is this important to us as Black Men Build?
As heirs of Malcolm X, who was public in his solidarity with the Palestinian struggle, we believe Chris Smalls represents an important continuation of that Black radical tradition. Chris Smalls is a fearless labor leader and one of the founders of the Amazon Labor Union. This was an effort to organize workers in Amazon warehouses, where over 30% of Amazon’s lowest paid workers are Black.
Furthermore, radical solidarity is not about our personal relationships and friendships. Still, we note that Brother Smalls has proven to be a curious, courageous, and principled brother in our interactions with him–both in Cuba and in the US. Chris Smalls is our Brother and a friend to many.
Chris Smalls and many of the Handala crew were captured and held in an Israeli detention facility. We uplift the statement he released, which reads, “I will not sign any paperwork and will remain as long as possible on hunger strike.” This is an act of courage and solidarity that stands firmly within the Black radical tradition.
In a recent statement, our comrades at Black Alliance For Peace uplifted the following (which we echo):
“True solidarity demands courage—refusing to be silenced or pacified as we witness, document, and resist this ongoing genocide. History will judge not only the perpetrators but also those who stood by in cowardly silence.”
As a response to the imposition of starvation and an ongoing genocidal campaign of erasure, there continue to be those who refuse to remain silent, refuse to sit aside; those who choose to stand on the right side of history. We applaud their decision.
As Black men, we stand with the courageous decision of our brother, Chris Smalls.
We stand for an end to all U.S. wars foreign and domestic, covert and overt, by all known and unknown branches of the U.S. government.
Free Palestine! Free Sudan! Free Congo! Free Haiti!
Free The Land!
Free Them ALL!