Le nouveau mouvement culturel afro-cubain et le débat sur la question raciale dans la Cuba contemporaine

Abstract

This article studies the works and activities of a group of cultural actors that since the early 1990s have promoted a debate on race and racial discrimination in Cuba. The members of this new Afro-Cuban cultural movement—musicians, visual artists, writers, academics, and activists—have effectively challenged the silence that surrounded the issue of race in the island for decades as well as the official interpretation of the national discourse of racial fraternity. They have denounced the growing racial gap that has characterized Cuban society since the advent of the Special Period and raised important questions about the relationship between race and Cubanidad. These intellectuals grew up in what was for the most part an egalitarian social environment, only to see it deteriorate in front of their own eyes in the 1990s. Their efforts have not been without results. According to several surveys, most Cubans now acknowledge that racism is a problem. Furthermore, authorities now recognize that racial differences continue to exist in Cuba and they have begun to be attentive to issues of representation of blacks in government structures.

Keywords

• religion
• discrimination
• racism
• hip hop
• race
• santería