Hoods Unite, Bang for Freedom!: Immortal Technique, Cesar Cruz, and the Brown Berets.

On November 5, Adisa Banjoko of the Hip Hop Chess Federation hosted a panel at a local high school in San Francisco that included Immortal Technique, Cesar A. Cruz and the Watsonville Brown Berets. The panelist addressed issues on US imperialism, police abuse and murder, black & brown youth repression, indigenous resistance and hood liberation.

IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE: Felipe Coronel (born February 19, 1978), better known as Immortal Technique, is a hip-hop artist and political activist. He is also currently the President and A&R of Viper Records. Originally from Peru.

Many of his songs focus on social justice, covering a wide variety of topics such as urban poverty in the US and international economic inequality (especially in Latin America), protest against the imprisonment of Mumia Abu-Jamal (who has voiced several interludes for Immortal Technique’s music), militarism and the military industrial complex in the US, media bias in favor of conservative and corporate interests, and racism (especially in regards to the mistreatment of people of color in the US).

CESAR A. CRUZ: is an internationally renowned poet, educator and human rights activist. From marching 76 straight miles to hunger striking for 16 days, Mr. Cruz has dedicated his life to fighting injustice. His relentless drive and passion has touched the lives of many, and his writings have received praise from activists and scholars throughout the world. Author Rodolfo Acuna sees "Cesar as one of the new martyrs of our people." Acclaimed author and activist Luis Rodriguez depicts Cesar's writings as filled with "fierce insight and righteous rage." But Mr. Cruz shrugs off the accolades with a humble smile and a thought. "I'm not important; we're but seeds of social change. Our role is a simple one;'To comfort the disturbed, and to disturb the comfortable.' Nothing more, and nothing less!

WATSONVILLE BROWN BERETS: Activated in 1994, the Autonomous Chapter of the Watsonville Brown Berets (WBB) are a youth-led organization that serves as a community defense force acting for the liberation and amelioration of the barrios. Representing the Watsonville Brown Berets was Tomas Alejo, student at UCSC and community agitator.