Event

AFRO CUBA

The Cuban Cultural Center of New York celebrates its 16th consecutive annual conference this year dedicated to the history and legacy of black Cubans and their influence and legacy worldwide. The all-day event will feature a sweeping historical overview of the black presence in Cuba from colonial times to the present, featuring archival photographs and film footage throughout the day. The conference will highlight the introduction of slavery on the Island and its socioeconomic vestiges throughout the Republican and post-Revolution eras, the black mans pivotal participation in the Cuban wars of independence, the African religions and their manifest role in Cubas cultural syncretism, the preeminent leadership of blacks in the todays civic resistance movement, as well as the outstanding achievements and influence of black Cubans across cultural genres, including music, literature, sports, dance, and the plastic artsin both the national and international realmsfor the last two centuries. The program will also include discussions on race and national identity, addressing the sensitive topic of racism, and will cap with an all-out Cuban jazz-jam. The event will be dedicated to Juan Gualberto Gómez, an exceptional figure in Cubas gestation as a nation.