The Issue of Race in Cuban Society Today: The Letter and Spirit 327
A definition of the singular reaction to racial problems in present
Cuban society, identified with the ignorance of them, may be defined
with the words of this last researcher when he points out:
“Still today the greatest difficulty we come up against is making many
understand that the problem exists...It is not difficult to realize that
what is taught in schools about the racial question is very little... and in
our scientific work we barely take on the research of racial problems...“...Therefore the conclusion is clear. It is not only that we have not
confronted racism but even worse, the prevailing thinking on race in
Cuba, today, seems to be the same that liberals, led in the 19th cen-
tury.”^4Finally, I think that the solution to the still existing problems asso-
ciated with racial discrimination in Cuba will emerge from a combina-
tion of two essential processes: the consistent analysis of the
phenomenon and its intelligent confrontation. Only with this type of
formulation will the essential and punctual aspects of this topic be
identified and examined from a global and comprehensive viewpoint
that would keep us abreast of the challenges facing humankind in the
21st century. This is beginning to show in recent debates in publica-
tions such as Temas from the Ministry of Culture and Catauro from the
Foundation Fernando Ortiz.
Both processes are being given increasing attention today by presti-
gious authors and national institutions, as is the case of the UNEAC’s
Commission against Racism and Racial Discrimination, headed by
writer Heriberto Feraudy. in their first year of work the effort to erad-
icate racism from Cuban society increased with, among other things,
the holding of tributes to Mariana Grajales, Antonio Maceo and other
relevant figures in our country’s history; an Informative discussion on
Cuban TV about racial topics in Cuba. The promotion of mono-
graphs and periodicals about race and discrimination have had
national and international impact and have also drawn attention to- Esteban Morales, interview offered on December 2009. Source, Inter Press Service;
Correspondent’s office in Cuba.