Resilient may be the best way to describe the people of Cuba, although resourceful, creative, and undefeated are also useful. Something must be said for the ingenuity of a people who can keep 1950s cars running, albeit often equipped with Toyota and Russian engines.
A five-day visit to the embattled island was not enough time for a fair evaluation, especially given the limitations imposed on our delegation, led by Dr. Ron Daniels, president of the Institute of Black World 21st Century. All of these adjectives were evident during our trip, despite the longstanding economic embargo and the current fuel blockade, which hamper trade, travel, and financial transactions.
Many of the problems the country faces have been in place since the 1960s and have now been intensified by the Trump administration, but we experienced firsthand the resolve of the people through the various courtesies extended by institutional leaders, elected officials, and hotel servants, and the warmth of ordinary folks in all walks of life.
We met with diplomats, members of the parliament, representatives of Afro-descendant organizations, public health administrators, and a bevy of cultural performers and artists. Through their conversations and responses to our questions, we gained a deeper appreciation of the linkage between Black American and Cuban history.
Of course, for all the amenities, several in stark contrast to American realities, Cuba is by no means a perfect society, nor did we expect it to be. However, the gains they have made in science, education, technology, and global affairs are quite admirable. Still, there are conditions in need of immediate attention; most urgently, the piles of garbage, particularly in central Havana where we stayed, as well as the pools of water that accumulate from the almost-daily showers. With the annual mosquito season and other maladies on the horizon, the municipality has to do what it can to head off the incipient dangers.
Obviously, we were not there long enough to fully grasp the range of difficulties pervading Cuban society, but we did have enough time to witness the connections between our shared histories and destinies. In our exchange of information and challenges, let us hope that our Cuban connections learned as much about our situation as we learned about theirs.
Cuba Libre! A luta continua (the struggle continues).
