Afro-Cubans: Race and Cubanness Forum: Cuba-Past, Present and Future Society and Politics

Fernando Palacios Mogár President, Cuban National Liberal Party Havana, Cuba

uba’s African descendants played a deci- and the creation of social and political clubs sive role in nation’s history and politics. named for them. Their social and political ac- CTheir visibility was due essentially to tivities were amply covered in the press. For the prominence of certain black and mulatto example, in 1900, there was a “friendly ban- military leaders intimately involved with quet” given in Santiago de Cuba in honor of the independence cause. Among them were General Rabí. “All” the cities’ civil, religious, Antonio Maceo, José Maceo, Flor Crombet and legal authorities, and representatives of and Guillermo (Guillermón) Moncada. They various corporations, newspapers and “most achieved status as national heroes. Generals of the city’s valiant citizens” attended. Quintín Jesús Rabí, Agustín Cebreco, Quintín Ban- Bandera offers another example of visibility, deras, Juan Eligio Ducasse, Prudencia Mar- prestige and leadership. He carried out work tínez, Pedro Díaz, and others, also were ac- very important to the history of Cuba, as the knowledged for their contributions to making organizer and president, in 1899, of the Cu- Cuba free. All were symbolic of Afro-Cuban ban National Party in Oriente, and later of participation in the independence war and po- the Cuban National League. Banquets and tentially represented examples of leaders with parties were also held in his honor.1 whom to resist those who would minimize the The contribution of Afro-Cubans could role of blacks in the building of the nation. not be ignored; it was obvious at patriotic The social and political importance of events like the Republic’s inauguration, on these black veterans was guaranteed at endless May 20th, 1902. On that day, a group of sol- banquets held in their honor, the interest of diers from the Liberating Army, described by emerging political parties in attracting them, the press as a “Cuban force,” most of them with

ISLAS 33 “bronzed” faces, marched through the streets egate to the Directory. As a delegate, he later of Havana under the leadership of General joined the Liberating Army and achieved the Pedro Díaz, commander of the Sixth Army rank of commander. After independence, he regiment and a personal friend of Antonio served as lieutenant in the Rural Guard, was a Maceo’s. Black generals were also present at member of the Las Villas provincial assembly, other public acts, like the commemoration of and was a representative in the National Con- the start of the Ten Years War (1868-1878). gress. He later became a member of President Black Cuban patriots earned a place in Gerardo Machado’s cabinet, first as Secretary Cuba’s social and political life. Rabí’s illness of Agriculture, later as Secretary of the Inte- and death were closely followed by the na- rior. tional press, and made front-page news. The Another black public figure involved funeral procession for black patriot Rafael in the Directory and newspaper La Igualdad Serra y Montalvo was led by the President of before participating in the war was journal- the Republic himself. Even when white leaders ist and writer Lino D’Ou. While in the war, participated, in order to attract black votes, he reached the rank of colonel in José Maceo’s they also were publicly acknowledging the top brass; afterwards, he was a representative role played by Afro-Cubans in the formation for the Conservative Party in Oriente prov- of the Cuban nation. ince, in 1908. D’Ou remained a distinguished Numerous black patriots who lacked political and intellectual figure till his death, military credentials but contributed to the in 1939. independence cause also held leadership posi- Others who distinguished themselves in- tions and garnered visibility. Juan Gualberto clude Laudelino García, Juan Travieso, and Gómez was one of the most prominent among Ramón Canals. García was a captain in the them. Born the son of slaves, he became a Liberating Army at the war’s close, and ended close collaborator of Martí’s and became up joining the Las Villas provincial assembly. the island’s most notable black leader during Travieso was a representative, and later be- the 1890s. He headed the Central Directory came known as the “patriarch” of his native of Black Societies and began to publish the town, Bejucal (near Havana). Canals was a newspaper La Igualdad. The importance of business owner, went into exile during the the Directory in the struggle for independence war, and served as a town councilor for Ha- and against racism is well known. It involved vana (1908-10 and 1912-16). about a hundred societies in 1893, and started The independence war’s black heroes were a successful campaign for the acknowledg- also quite visible and prestigious after the war. ment of black Cubans’ civil rights and legal Antonio Maceo was the most venerated, men- equality. Another of its contributions was to tioned and disputed symbol of Cuban racial provide a space in which Afro-Cuban activists brotherhood among them. His death in com- could acquire organizing and political skills, bat is commemorated every year with massive both of which would later allow them to play processions to his tomb. These invariably in- an active role in republican times. cluded politicians and representatives of black The life of Manuel Delgado is a clear ex- clubs and societies. Congress held special ses- ample of this. In 1892, the Society of Light, sions in his memory; parks were built, monu- a black club in Yaguajay, named him their del- ments were raised, and streets were named in

34 ISLAS honor of this mulatto general. In 1930, in his social movements. After the 1959 revolution, effort to draw black votes, President Machado the outlook for Afro-Cubans became dismal. declared the date of his fall in combat a na- Their presence in the government’s highest tional holiday. positions and in the Cuban Communist Party The popularity and prestige of black (PCC) was negligible. Any changes in the Cuban heroes and veterans were indicative of leadership’s racial composition were painfully an inevitable reality. Even those who despised slow. blacks had to acknowledge them and face the According to the 1986 census, blacks and fact of their participation in the emerging po- mulattoes represented only 9% of the Central litical order. There was no argument about it: Committee in 1965, 7% in 1975, and 12% blacks had to and must be considered at each in 1980. Their proportion as leaders was no phase of the island’s reconstruction. Further- different at the provincial level: 8% in 1974. more, one cannot even talk about this with- These numbers have not changed much, even out mentioning the Independent Group of now, despite the mistaken and unwise policies Color, established on August 7th, 1908, which the majority white, governing elite has imple- then became the Independent Party of Color mented, e.g., establishing quotas at different (PIC), whose membership included black Cu- levels of government. They have not consid- bans such as Evaristo Estenoz (its President), ered that the race problem should be seen and and Agapito Rodríguez and Pantaleón Valdez dealt with differently, by raising awareness. (both Vice-Presidents), Gregorio Surin (Sec- How can all that tradition and history of ac- retary), and Julián Valdez (Vice-Secretary), tive, black involvement in Cuba’s social and all of whom made marks on Cuba’s political political life be obviated? history. If at this time in Cuba’s history there are The PIC was formed to respond to the few or no blacks in positions of real power, it needs created by a desire to further develop is because the governing elite is not interested the progress and civilization of blacks, an in it being so. The few who have reached this aspiration the political parties in which they inner circle are ‘virtual’ figures incapable of had been active were not yet able to fulfill. Yet, expounding on the race problem for fear of they were misunderstood, and another of the losing their privileges and perks. period’s intellectual and black, political fig- Juan Almeida Bosque, Esteban Lazo, ures, Senator Martín Morúa Delgado, disap- and Pedro Sáez, to name a few, are among proved of the idea of organizing a political the few who have had any real pull at the party to achieve this end—despite the fact he top. The naming of Raúl González Lovaina, acknowledged there was a need there was to a black-skinned Cuban, to lead one of the improve the black race’s social, economic and country’s three armies is a response to criti- moral situation. cisms launched by agents of change both in The largest of the Antilles had witnessed and outside Cuba. the ascent of a large number of black Cubans The future of black Cubans depends on in politics, which is how they earned more them seeking democracy as an inevitable and participatory space—little by little. After thoroughly examined option, as well as in the revolution of 1933, other black politi- public spaces, which will offer the best way for cians became involved in public life and led blacks to attain their rights. The challenges

ISLAS 35 are many, but so is our determination strong. The current political situation in Cuba has Notes: created a new imperative. Since dark-skinned 1- Major General José Quintino “Quintín” Ban- dera Betancourt (1834-1906) fought in Cuba’s Cubans constitute a majority of the popula- three independence wars. In postcolonial, re- tion, have no place at the table of official pow- publican Cuba he fought with the liberals er, and are socially and economically margin- against “moderate” President Tomás Estrada alized, we must continue to discuss and debate Palma’s reelection efforts. When the Rural Guard dispersed his forces, race relations and how opportunities are de- he sought refuge at the El Garro farm, where nied us. Let me just remind you of Alejandro he died on August 22nd, 1906, by Captain Ig- de la Fuente’s words (he is a professor at the nacio Delgado’s party. They killed him with University of Pittsburgh, in the U.S.): “Let’s a single shot, rather than use the machete on be honest. If identifying people according to him. He was a Tata Inkisi (a Bantú priest), and ministered to the Liberating Army. (Editor’s their race, if talking about blacks, whites and note) mulattoes is a sin against humanity, then we 2- De la Fuente, Alejandro. Una Nación para to- Cubans should be excommunicated en masse. dos. Raza, desigualdad y política en Cuba. Ma- Yet, is it really sinful to talk about a topic so drid: Colibrí, 2000. central to the formation and representation of Cubanness? Or, on the contrary, should we reserve excommunication for those who are bent on institutionalizing the silence that sur- rounds this and other topics?”2

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