Afrocubanas: History, Thought, and Cultural Practices

Originally published in Spanish and edited by Cuban historian Daisy Rubiera Castillo and the late playwright and theater critic Inés María Martiatu Terry, this is the first work of its kind. It places reflection on the experiences of black and mulata women at the center of Cuban history. Including essays from a mix of well-known and newly published Cuban authors, the book examines the lives of Afrocubanas from the late 19th century to the present. The book is the first one to collect and interrogate the voices of black Cuban women in terms of the political, cultural, social, and ideological contributions they have made to the history of their nation. One of the unique qualities of Afrocubanas is that the text is the product of a grassroots community working group in Havana. A number of contemporary antiracist organizations have emerged to fight racial inequality in light of Cuba's new economic challenges since the fall of its chief trading partner the Soviet Union. But, while the Afrocubanas Project (founded by Daisy Rubiera Castillo and Inés María Martiatu Terry in the mid-2000s) is one of most prominent groups in Havana, it is also one of the few groups that challenges racism and sexism together. The members of the Afrocubanas Project hail from a variety of professions, ages, and sexual orientations. This group of black women shares a collective interest in challenging negative stereotypes. This book merges their activism and their intersectional scholarship to create and disseminate new knowledge about black Cuban women. There is no other published work in English devoted to analyzing the political and intellectual dimensions of black Cuban women's thought across the island's history. This text is essential reading for students of Afro-Latin American studies, Caribbean history, or courses focussing on black women in the Atlantic region.