The Role of Afro-Cubans in the Formation of Cuba Essay

The Role of Afro-Cubans in the Formation of Cuba Introduction In the formation of the Cuban nation, the role of Afro-Cubans is undeniably of great importance. The success and riches obtained by Cuba as a Spanish colony would have been unthinkable without the exploitation of African slave labor. Even before emancipation, there were key figures in the Cuban independence movement, such as Antonio Maceo, who were free men of Afro-Cuban origin. After emancipation in 1886, Afro-Cuban ex-slaves showed their enthusiasm for their future in Cuba by volunteering in large numbers to fight in the Liberation Army. Yet in the victory over the Spanish in 1898, Afro-Cubans were given little recognition for their overwhelming support, and were†¦show more content†¦Yet as this all-black party gained supporters, it was accused of racism, and eventually was brutally destroyed by whites fearing its radical tone and armed protests. The massacre of so many members of the PIC was a harsh blow to the Afro-Cuban struggle, and made it unlikely that another unifie d Afro-Cuban movement would be tolerated. Racial Hierarchies in Cuba By the late 19th Century Cuba had developed a unique sense of racial hierarchy which distinguished it from both Latin American countries and the United States. As historian Aline Helg argues in Our Rightful Share: The Afro-Cuban Struggle for Equality, 1886-1912, Cuban racial ideology in these years was based on the claim that there were two distinct races. In addition to whites, there was a ‘raza de color’, made up of blacks and mulattos (3). This two-tiered hierarchy differed from most Latin American countries, which differentiated between blacks and mulattos, or still had a sizeable indigenous population. It also contrasted the prevailing attitude in the United States, which relied on the so-called one-drop rule to define race. Unlike the United States, in Cuba one could have a trace of African ancestry and still be considered white. Since whites in Cuba generally identified blacks and mulattos in the same category, discriminating against them both, the raza de color was extraordinarily unitedShow MoreRelated The Racial Struggle of Afro-Cubans Essay1398 Words   |  6 PagesThe Racial Struggle of Afro-Cubans Introduction Afro-Cubans struggled to no avail for racial equality between the years 1886-1912. The slaughter of protesting blacks in 1912 shows that the battle cries for equality of Antonio Maceo and Josà © Martà © during the war for independence had dissolved. What was left was a unequal Cuban society, divided racially and fearing a black revolution. 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