“Make A Way Out Of No Way”

Project: “Make A Way Out Of No Way”

A decision at the slave trade post kept some sisters and brothers in Cuba and sent others to America. I would like to submit a visual art piece intersecting the two worlds from the slave trade, displaying similarities on how (Afro-Cubans and African-Americans) created traditions along their journeys under the survival of oppression. “Make a way out of no way,” will be the title.

Bridging the worlds of Afro-Cuban and African-American helps us understand one another better, and to see the similarities we endured to survive. It also helps us better appreciate each other’s plight today.

I want to explore (foods cooked, herbs used for medicine, hair care/scarfs, and religion etc.) The goal is to display a commonality between the two worlds. Also, to spark dialogue about current conditions and concerns which are inspiring movements for both Afro-Cubans and African-Americans.

We can partake in the foods researched from both Cuba and America used by slaves to survive. Host a candlelight vigil with a moment silence, eat together and create some Rueda dance moves in remembrance of those who have come before us. 

I would love to email or speak with Lucila Insua Brindis, the 67-year-old founder of Havana's Afro-Descendent Organization for Women. Maybe we can display this visual piece where she educates Afro-Cuban women.

Brindis' group, founded in 2012 with the government's blessing, is working to combat the negative stigmas faced by Afro-Cuban women while addressing broader societal issues stemming from anti-black racism. Brindis says it's her group's mission to lead educational workshops that advocate for more expressions of Afro-descendent beauty in the media and in Cuban pop culture.

Lucila Insua Brandis Group Information from:
https://www.essence.com/2016/08/02/discovering-afro-cuban-culture