“Freedom” was the fourth and final single to be released from Rage Against the Machine’s eponymous album.

The song raises awareness about the Native American Activist, Leonard Peltier, who was involved in the American Indian Movement (AIM). As a consequence of a shoot-out on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975, Peltier was condemned to two consecutive life sentences for the deaths of two FBI agents. Since his trial, questions have been raised concerning the prosecution’s misconduct regarding fabricated evidence and falsified testimonies.

Speaking to Rolling Stone in 1995, Zack de la Rocha discussed Peltier’s case and attitude towards indigenous people:

I believe in this band’s ability to bridge the gap between entertainment and activism… Leonard Peltier is a political prisoner… but he’s much more than that. He symbolizes the continuance of the U.S. genocidal policy that’s been perpetrated against the native peoples of this country.

This message is continued in the song’s music video directed by Peter Christopherson, which features footage from the Peltier case and and a re-enactment of the Pine Ridge incident from Michael Apted’s 1992 documentary, Incident at Oglala. These scenes are accompanied by imagery of American Indian Movement members and quotes from Sitting Bull – the Native American chief responsible for uniting Sioux tribes in their struggle for survival on the Great Plains. The video closes with scenes of imprisoned Peltier and the phrase, “justice has not been done”.