Abstract
Cuba has, at least since the American revolution, occupied the imagination of North Americans. For nineteenth-century capital, Cuba's close proximity, its Black slaves, and its warm but diverse climate invited economic penetration. By 1900, capital desired in Cuba "a docile working class, a passive peasantry, a compliant bourgeoisie, and a subservient political elite.'" Not surprisingly, Cuba's African heritage stirred an opposite imagination among Blacks to the North. The island's rebellious captives, its anti-colonial struggle, and its resistance to U.S. hegemony beckoned solidarity. Like Haiti, Ethiopia, and South Africa, Cuba occupied a special place in the hearts and minds of African-Americans.
Recommended Citation
Brock, Lisa
(1994)
"Back to the Future: African-Americans and Cuba in the Time(s) of Race,"
Contributions in Black Studies: Vol. 12, Article 3.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cibs/vol12/iss1/3