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NEWS/IC^ Ctri«nt $ot
Thursday, December 29, 2005
AFTER CASTTTO EXfTS
OfnMiulianswoiTy
about their future
Castro
By Karen Juanita Carrillo
nit.WtSl'ERDAM
NEW YORK The latest
rumor from Cuba is that the
nation's leader, Fidel Castro,
may have Parkinson’s dis
ease It’s only one of many
tales about Castro's health,
his wealth,
and his gov
erning abili
ties
It's a CIA
assessment
that Castro
personally
refuted by
delivering one
of his customary five hour
long speeches to a group of
Havana University students.
Castro has long been tlie
subject of near-death rumors,
despite the general health he
eiyoys at 79 years old. The
reports usually originate in
Florida's exiled Cuban-
Ainerican conmiiuiity, where
many have never forgiven the
Cuban leader for taking
power on tlie island during
the 1959 revolution.
Cuba's president tradition
ally dismisses the various
rumors of stroke, brain hem
orrhage, hypertension and
other illnesses as the venge
ful wishes of enemies who
would love to see him dead.
Still, the inevitable reality of
Fidel Castro's true passing is
boimd to lead to drastic
changes on the island nation.
And the most striking
changes will affect the lives of
Afix> Cubans.
“Black Cubans continue to
lag behind white Cubans.”
notes the journalist and
activist, Willie Mack
Thompson “President Castro
has spoken to this, but this is
especially fiightening in an
anticipated leadership transi
tion.
“My concern is that if black
Cubans enter into this transi
tion with less resources and
income ft less status ft they
will not be able to compete
and will thus be relegated to
their pre-revolutionary sta
tus. It will be a class stni^le
based on status.!
Out of the shadows
Castro’s 1959 levolution
took Cuba out fixau under the
control of monied interests
strongly allied to the U.S.
govenunent. Between the
lai^ agri-businesses and
Mafia-controlled casinos,
hotels and prostitution rings
throu^out the island, black
and white Cubans had bitter
ly ctmiplained of being treat
ed as if they lived on a large
offshore U.S. plantation.
Castro's revolution national
ized ialeuid businesses, which
led to the end of diplomatic
relations between Cuba and
the United States and a now
43-year-old U.S, economic
embargo against the island.
Cuba’s survival has been
buttressed by the education,
employment and social inclu
sion of its large black popula
tion But the fact that blacks
are not central to the political
structure in Cuba may pro
hibit Afix>-Cubans fiom play
ing a central role in control
ling the island post-Castro
“The black population there
realizes that they have made
gains since the Revolution,”
notes Hariem activist Elombe
Brath “They understand
that it's to their advantage to
maintain the Revolution.”
Race-based discrimination
was so fine-tuned in Cuba
prior to Castro that even the
nation’s former president,
General Fulgendo Batista,
was denied admission to
exclusive clubs because he
was considered a mulatto,
pointed out Brath, who hosts
“Afiikaleidoscope” on WBAI-
FM in New York.
‘There has always been a
relative silence among
Cubans about race and racial
inequality,” said George
Priestley, who directs the
Latin American Area Studies
department at CUNY’s
Queens College. “And given
the fact that so much has
been done to erase the racial
problems the island had, and
that so much was done to
address the issues of struc
tural inequality, racial identi
fication was for a while not
encouraged. And a Black
identification was particular
ly not encouraged !
The popularity of reggae-
ton, hip-hop and flo^try
among Afro Cuban youth
may spark a higher degree of
ethnic awareness, Priestley
added. And that ethnic
awareness ft or Black pride ft
should spur stronger political
responsibility
l ied to revolution
But in the meantime, the
political awareness of Afiu
Cubans remains exclusively
tied to the revolution. "And
Fidel is the one sustaining
the Ptevolution; the reason
Cuba is so strong is because
of Fidel,” said a prominent
U.S.-based Afix) Latino jour
nalist who preferred not to be
named. “After Fidel, the
Cubans in Miami will simply
pounce on the island,” this
journalist contends. “They
have connections in Cuba;
they have their people in
place in Cuba already. When
they take over they’re going
to be opening up the political
arena to the U.S. again,
“The problem is going to be
with black Cubans who are
not used to taking orders and
won't stand for it. The white
Cubans in Miami are still
racists They're making
preparations for their return,
but their plans don't include
concerns about black people i
Th^ m^ority of Miami-
based Cubans are right wing
and anti-Castro, called
“gusanos” (wormstor "vende-
patria" (traitors) by Castro
supporters. There are left-
wing Castro-supporting
CXibans also living abroad,
but they are not as fiequent-
ly heard fi*om in the media,
because they are generally
labeled communists. Cuba
has also been branded com
munist since the Castro-led
revolution, but supporters
see Castro's efforts as contin
uing the island's push for
independence.
(Alba has ostensibly been
“independent” since Dec. 10,
1898, following decades of
fitting between the nation's
independence army, the (Aiba
Libre, and Spain. By 1898,
the war was between Spain
and the United States, but
(Albans had declared their
independence as early as Oct.
10, 1868. At that time, they'd
also called for the island to
end its enslavement of black
people, but emancipation
from slavery was not made
law until Oct. 7, 1886.
What next?
Afix) (Albans took the lead
in the fight to end Spain’s
dominance on the pland, and
for three decades tney formed
the mjyority of soldiers in
(Alba Libre’s ranks. After its
independence from Spain,
(Albans felt they had to con
tinue their fi^t to gain inde
pendence fixini the United
States. Castro has always
termed his revolution a fur
ther battle in the strug^e for
(Alba’s independaice.
“Fidel is a mortal being and
as a mortal being he will die
one day,” notes the Afro
(Albanjournalist, author, and
broadcaster Pedro Perez-
Sarduy “But (Albans know
that (Alba has been trans
formed into a revolutionary
nation over these past
decades. And Cuba will
remain a revolutionary
nation for many years to
come — with or without Hdel
T think these kinds of wor
ries, so often repeated in
recent years ft mostly by peo
ple of goodwill, who don't live
in (Alba — is in many ways
similar to the wishes of those
who don't want the best for-
(Alba after Fidel dies,” Perez-
Sarduy adds. “Obviously, it
would be shameful for most of
(Alba if the Revolution does
not survive the death of its
prindpal creator. But he is
not the only defender of the
revolutionary ideals that
began in 1868 and re-
emerged on July 26, 1953
during the attack on the
Moncada barracks in
Santiago de (Alba. (Alba will
survive with or without
Fidel.”
Caucus plans for N.C. lottery
Continued frotn page 1A
tery will be used; 50 percent will go towards
class size reduction efforts, 40 percent towards
school construction and 10 percent for scholar
ships
Thompson said students will be able to apply
for the scholarships if they commit to at least
four years (i* teaching in the state after they
graduate fitau college.
James Fuller said in Geotgia, students who
graduate with at least a B average are able to
attend most state colleges fiee of charge
because of the lottery He wanted to know how
the schdarship process would work in N.C.,
explaining that many black students do not
finish high school with a B average
N7BLC diair Camell Rolanscm said new lot-
toy directer Than Shaheen does not have to
adhere to the state minority hiring regulations.
“The law needs to be euuended (on hiring
Why read Tlie PostP Unique peispecdve
“I thinK it s important to have the perspective of all parts
of the community on public policy. The Post provides a
unique perspective and I value that perspective.”
Dimumt Clarke. Mecklenburg Coimt\ coimnissioner
Call (704) 3760496
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practices),” he said.
Anita Smith asked if there was anything in
the plan to help citizens who have a gambling
problem. No caie had an answer.
NCBLC members agreed to form a special
committee to write a letter to the Lottery
Commission, specifically requesting that
Afiican Americans receive fair and equitable
treatment when it comes to opportunities.
Robinson said it is important that the letter
ask for inclusiveness and fairness for blacks
across the state, instead of just falling into a
larger pool of minorities or low-income resi
dents.
Erin Byrd agreed, noting that the purpose of
the N(!3LC is advocating for the equity of
Afiican Americans. •
“That’s what our mission statement says,”
she said.