American Black History and the Arab World are more connected than you think, here's how

Every February is celebrated as Black History Month in the United States. 

And while the Arab world and the U.S. are oceans apart, the collective experience between Black Americans and Arabs with oppression and resistance make their bond one that is very strong.  

February may end today, but the struggle continues. 

Here's a closer look at this historic bond and how it transcends time and borders.  

In its manifesto, Black Lives Matter criticized the U.S. and the state of Israel saying, "The U.S. justifies and advances the global war on terror via its alliance with Israel and is complicit in the genocide taking place against the Palestinian people."

But this was definitely not the beginning of solidarity between Black America and the Arab world.

"The ever-scheming European imperialists wisely placed Israel where she could geographically divide the Arab world, infiltrate and sow the seed of dissension among African leaders and also divide the Africans against the Asians," Malcolm X, a prominent Black Muslim activist, wrote in a 1964 article in the Egyptian Gazette.

Malcolm X, became one of the first Black American leaders to meet with the Palestinian Liberation Organization that same year. As a Sunni Muslim, he also performed the Hajj, and Saudi Prince Faisal hosted him as an official state guest while he was in the kingdom.

On this trip to the Middle East, Malcolm X saw Muslims of "all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans," interacting as equals. This convinced him that Islam was an avenue through which racial tensions could be overcome.

Since the mid 1960s, the Black freedom movement has seen the Palestinian cause as parallel to its own. As Black American leaders began to broaden their struggle, their focus on solidarity with Palestine grew.

During the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, Black movements across the U.S. broke with traditional American liberals and declared their support of Palestine. 

The Black Panther Party, an influential Black power and liberation movement, also threw its weight behind Palestinians. As it struggled to end the oppression of Black Americans, the party saw the necessity to oppose global imperialism as well.

"We support the Palestinians’ just struggle for liberation one hundred percent," party leader Huey Newton said. "We will go on doing this, and we would like for all of the progressive people of the world to join our ranks in order to make a world in which all people can live.”

This solidarity has continued into the present day, with the Black Lives Matter movement throwing its full support behind the Palestinian people, and Palestinians have reciprocated. 

During the height of Black Lives Matter protests in 2014, Palestinians began tweeting their support and advice, sharing tips on how to counter the effects of police tear gas.

The great Black Muslim American boxer Muhammad Ali died in 2016, drawing an outpouring of support from the Arab world.

Ali, a friend of Malcolm X, had long taken a stance supporting Palestine, even visiting Palestinian refugees in Lebanon in the 1970s. For Blacks and Muslims, Ali was a resounding political voice and activist as much as he was a world heavyweight champion. He was seen as a symbol to his generation for standing up to power and societal oppression.

"He crystallized that mindset of resistance and a feeling among many Muslims not to submit to stereotypes; that being Muslim is just as American as being Christian or Jewish," Dawud Walid, from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told Al Jazeera.

One of Ali's last major statements addressed Islamophobic attacks by American politicians during the recent run-up to the presidential election. He criticized those who painted all Muslims as extremists.

"I believe that our political leaders should use their position to bring understanding about the religion of Islam and clarify that these misguided murderers have perverted people’s views on what Islam really is," Ali said, according to the Guardian.

Following his death, many Arabs mourned the man who had supported their struggle as well as his own.

In the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's now-frozen Muslim ban, Ali's son and ex-wife had already become the victims of the overt Islamophobia. Both were detained by border agents upon returning to the U.S. in February.

They asked Muhammad Ali Jr.: "Where did you get your name from? Are you a Muslim?", detaining him for two hours, according to media reports. His mother was released quicker because she had a photo of herself and her ex-husband.

Although the Ali family routinely travels throughout the world, they had never experienced such discrimination returning to the U.S. until now.

Hip-hop and rap music have historically been a significant form of political art and resistance for the Black American community. The music often highlights societal inequality, oppression by White America and police brutality. It has served as a powerful tool for Black Americans to express their frustrations and to communicate in a very bold and political way.

Many Palestinian artists have adopted this music and style to express their frustrations and criticize the occupation of their homeland. DAM was the first prominent Palestinian hip-hop group in the late 1990s, rapping against the brutality of the Israeli police and the daily oppression Palestinians face under occupation.

Since then, many other groups and artists have followed with their own unique styles. Shadia Mansour, who is Palestinian but was born in the UK, is another prominent example.

Black Americans continue to face significant oppression in the U.S. Even under the administration of America's first Black head of state, President Barack Obama, the U.S. saw Black Americans being shot and often killed in the streets on an almost daily basis. 

Arab Americans have been facing similar oppression in the U.S., increasing under the Islamophobic rhetoric of Trump. Anti-Muslim hate groups are on the rise in the U.S. and Trump has fueled the flames through his inflammatory comments.

Palestinians continue to face daily threats to their existence. Through the continued construction of illegal settlements and ongoing Israeli settler and military violence, the reality is grim for the millions of Palestinians who live under Israeli apartheid. 

With the election of Trump, who has voiced unwavering support for the Israeli state, harshly criticized Black American protesters and attempted to ban Arabs from several countries from entering the U.S., these distinct communities may find the need for solidarity now more than ever.