IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 6 ENGLISH | Page 24

In order to avoid being pigeonholed as a
“leftist anti-racist” it is enough to show
yourself as being in opposition to the
government.” If, on the other hand, you
are known as a “leftist anti-racist,’ you
will receive legal backing to denounce
manifestations of racism, so long as you
don’t go into the government’s blame in
this. If you are an anti-racist who is
politically opposed to the government,
you can go to prison just for organizing a
(totally apolitical) cultural event for
black children in any marginal, Havana
neighborhood. It is not pertinent to
combat prejudice from within prejudice.
Going beyond a ghetto mentality while
having a ghetto mentality will probably
not take us much beyond just nonsense
and inappropriateness. And, that is one
of the serious problems that today’s
struggle against discrimination faces, in
general, but particularly when it comes
to racial discrimination. Cuban antiracist who take action at the periphery,
or against the government, have been
forced to develop their activism in
particularly difficult and very hostile
circumstances. On the one hand, they
must face over half a century of official
speeches and rhetoric that were good at
promoting themselves regarding public
opinion as vehicles of an authentically
anti-racist revolution. However, they
never delved sufficiently into the
essence of racism, nor did they explore
radical solutions. On the other hand, they
must carry out their activism under
constant harassment on the part of the
government’s repressive forces, and in
the face of its very effective propaganda

machine, which is all powerful within in
Cuba and efficient in its communications
abroad. Pursued, silenced and slandered
with no right or space in which to defend
their selves, these activists have carried
out a mission that has special relevance
to Cuba’s contemporary history.
Nevertheless, too little is known about
their struggle, not only abroad, but also
within Cuba (which is worse yet). The
trail of abuses, intolerance, injustices,
defamation, physical and psychological
abuses, imprisonment, and social
ostracism these anti-racist Cuban
activists opposed to the governmental
policies have endured is something that
in and of itself is enough to doubt the
transparency of official rhetoric.
Political repression against peaceful,
inclusive, anti-racist events is just
another long chapter in this this history,
one that is very difficult to understand
for those who have not thoroughly
explored Cuba’s current reality. It is
unprecedented. After having wasted the
most propitious moments and best
material conditions that have existed for
racially challenging the economic
poverty and social retrogression that
Cuban blacks have endured throughout
our country’s whole history, the
government seems set on deploying one
of its old aberrations: monopolizing antiracist rhetoric. Anything that is said or
done regarding anti-racism must first
receive an official blessing. The
legitimacy or well-intentioned nature of
anything’s underpinnings does not
matter. The only thing that matters is if it
contradicts some detail, or in some

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