~By Inobe
The Video Main
Points & Questions:
·
Slave trade fueled the Spanish and Cuba economy
largest producer of sugar and coffee. By 1825 all of Spanish colonies were free
except Cuba and Puerto Rico. Haitian revolution put fear in the minds of the
white Cuban planters. Plantations were like prisons with watchtowers because of
this fear.
·
Planters decided to rise up against Spain for
its independence, and conveniently needed the help of the slaves to fight the
war. This war would take all Cubans uniting.
o
After treating salves like prisoners how did
a majority of planters come to terms with joining forces with them to fight
Spain. I’m interested to understand how this relationship between slaves and
planters changed if at all.
o
Did slaves feel they had a choice? Did they
feel this would free them from harsh treatment and conditions? Did they feel they would be seen as equals if
they helped?
o
Did they see themselves as Cubans, or only
as Slaves wanting to be free as Africans if they pitched in to help fight for
Cuba’s freedom?
·
1st war of Independence lunched by Carlos Manuel
de Céspedes Oct. 10th 1868 (from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_War_of_Independence)
·
Called
his salves to a meeting and told them he was launching a war and they were free.
He encouraged other wealthy Cuban planters and slave owners to rise up with him
and fight against Spain.
·
(National figure and a black Cuban) Lt.
General José Antonio de la Caridad Maceo y Grajales (1845 –1896) was second-in-command of the
Cuban Army of Independence. There was anxiety around him rising to this level
of power because he was a man of color.
The uncomfortable White Cuba didn’t want an uprising like what happened
in Haiti. They felt this General represented that type of free minded thinking.
o
I was
surprise to find out about him and his contribution to the war. Powerful. I
wonder was there ever a plot to kill him by white Cubans during this time even
with Spain being the focus?
·
The Cuban War of Independence was
the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two
being the Ten Years' War (1868–1878) and the Little War (1879–1880). The final
three months of the conflict escalated to become the Spanish–American War, with
United States forces being deployed in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippine
Islands against Spain.
·
It seemed because all of Cuba wanted freedom
from Spain they worked together to fight, but once the war was over the
prejudices and racism showed up in full force. There was a separating of the
two worlds just as it had been in America, but without laws to enforce them.
This put Black Cubans on the road to poverty and lack of opportunities.
·
The US helped Cuba expel them from Spain but prevented
and independent government. The US remained in control of the island. One
colonialism traded for another one.
o
How did Cubans feel about the US intervening
and taking control of the island? Did they feel free?
·
The US influenced its racism upon CUBA. And the
president at that time agreed and allowed it.
o
Did Cuba understand how much America was
imposing it’s own thoughts and feelings on racism, or did they blame the
current President? Did people feel he had a choice?
·
After the war and anthropologist dug up the body
of the (National figure and black man)
Lt. General José Antonio de la Caridad Maceo y Grajales to look at his skull. They wanted to determine if
he had more European features verses African.
·
Historians started changing his features and skin
to be more European, so his African features disappeared over time. Like most world
history has been altered in some way, or erased so the African contribution in
any form is silenced.
o
The question is why? What is the fear about
the world learning about African descent/black people’s contribution to the
world and history? Why has the hiding or erasing of evidence been a reoccurring
theme in history, including in Cuba?
o
We should all examine other parts of history
to see what has been distorted or falsified?
·
10 years after the Independence war white and
black Cubans fought together but the worlds were quickly separated.
o
I’m curious to know how much of this
separation between whites and blacks in Cuba was influenced by the US, verses being
homegrown on the island from slavery and fear.
·
Pedro Invonet was the founder of Independent
People of Color (PIC), which stood up for rights of black Cubans. (The
government killed many of the party members for this reason and nothing was
done). The number of PIC members that lost their lives is still a debate today.
o
Why was fear still lingering? Especially
after whites and blacks joined forces to fight Spain and won?
o
What happen once Castro came into leadership
did Communism support the separation between blacks and whites in Cuba? In what
ways?
·
White Cuba wanted to kill everything associated
with black Cubans. All things associated with them were looked at as immoral and
suppressed. None of their drumming, music, religion, or anything was allowed.
They were forced to live in the shadows, out of sight.
·
But the music and cultured bubbled up from
underground in the clubs one form known as song. It expressed the soul of Cuba.
o
On this
video Dr. Gates interviewed a rap artist that wrote music speaking out against
race issues. So music, visual artists, and other forms of arts are still
forbidden or criticize if they speak about race issues in Cuba it seems.
o
Cuba revolution
of 1959 didn’t end racism of the heart as Dr. Gates states. In 2017 how are black Cubans today? Is art of
any kind discussing these issues still forbidden? Are conversations welcomed?
Cuba: The Next
Revolution-Black in Latin America, with Henry Louis Gates Jr. PBS, 2011.
AfroCubaWeb, S.A. copyright 1997, from url:
http://www.afrocubaweb.com/photopages/independentsfoto.htm
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