[Marxism] 'Caminos' devotes its last issue to the race question in Cuba

[Walter Lippmann]

Caminos magazine devotes its last issue to the ever controversial
race question in Cuba

By Emir Garcia Meralla

http://www.cubanow.net/global/loader.php?&secc=7&item=4904&c=2

Cubanow.- Cuba's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Center has published
yet another issue of Caminos magazine, perhaps the only publication
in the country devoted to socio theological thinking, which has
become an unavoidable point of reference to understand different
edges of Cuban social thinking.

As publication, Caminos is based on diversity of opinions, ratifying
the ecumenical nature of its publishing team and allowing readers to
get acquainted with the dissimilar world of Cuban thinking. The last
issue has been devoted to race and racial affairs, with the
contribution of several authors representing the variety and polarity
of views that Cuban intellectuals hold on this particular matter.

The racial question is a pending subject not only for Cuban nation's
society, but also for its cultural and political structuring. It is,
in fact, one of the most sensitive elements taking part in national
unity, and it has been addressed with courage by the abovementioned
magazine. However, to summarize in 72 pages a historical conflict
dating back to several centuries, a conflict with great humane,
cultural and social implications, can prove to be a thorny task for
any publication.

This last issue has come to light under the pretext of activities
taking place to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Colored
Independents Party foundation. This was, perhaps, the only political
association in Cuban history to have been organized based on racial
affairs. Such attempt to fight for racial vindication ended with the
so called War of August 1912, during which members of the recently
founded association were victims of a bloodbath brought upon them,
ignoring the nation which had emerged from the blood and suffering of
all Cubans alike, Cubans of all races and creeds, during the
struggles against Spanish colonial rule.

Fernando Martínez Heredia, sociologist by profession, spoke at the
inauguration act by virtue of which the organizing committee was
established to prepare activities to commemorate the foundation of
the abovementioned party. His words have been added extra support
with the publication of an indispensable essay by the historian
Walterio Carbonell, who passed away just recently, entitled "Cómo
surgió la cultura nacional" (how national culture was born), a
cornerstone for Cuban contemporary historiography. To understand both
published texts will enable people to approach the rest of the
articles which make up the publication's corpus in a non-biased way.

Mario Castillo, essay writer, has been given the responsibility to
assess the role of abakua universe within the corpus of Cuban culture
and history of the last two centuries. The author has avail himself
of notes and lectures delivered by the Cuban writer and ethnographer
Serafín "Tato" Quiñónez, one of the sharpest scholars who have
specialized in the inner world, contributions and contradictions of
this succor association founded by African descendants born in Cuba,
in the early years of the 19th century. It is about time that such
association, founded by black men but deeply rooted in Cuba due to
the mixed nature of our nation, is assessed in all of its dimensions
and contributions, is respected. It is about time its initiates and
admirers play the role they deserve within Cuban history and society.

The magazine's publishing team has decided to deal with the question
of race and racism based on a very successful interview to Dr.
Esteban Morales, one of the most noteworthy experts on racial affairs
in Cuba. His studies about black people's situation in the country,
racial discrimination and exclusion are indispensable points of
reference in order to understand such a controversial issue.

Is was rather felicitous to include quotations from José Martí, the
most lucid Cubans of all according to Cintio Vitier, as well as his
assessments on racial affairs from a modernist perspective, a kind of
thinking still valid today.

In order to show the extent to which Caminos is part of Cuban
culture, its editors have decided to pay tribute to two outstanding
personalities of Cuban music: Miguel Angá and Tata Güines, both of
whom passed away just recently. Somehow, the hands of both musicians,
rumba and jazz percussionists, are a synthesized symbol of all
mysteries which have shaped up the Cuban nation, a land in which
black and white people walk hand in hand, a Title in Castile and a
grandfather from Bondon.

*The author is one of Cubanow's colaborators.

*Translated by: Rebeca Castellanos.

May 26, 2008