105 A Promising Reality: Reflections on Race, Gender, and Culture in Cuba is a compilation of the reflections of a group of chief diversity officers, faculty, and educators from the United States about Cuba. As part of the National Association of Diversity Officers in A Higher Education delegation to Cuba in July, 2015, A Promising Reality represents a col- lection of voices, experiences, and perspectives about issues of race, gender, cultural P identity, and the African experience in Cuba. Key themes explored include Cuban cul- R ture, the Cuban Revolution, politics, economics, education, equity, and social change. O Utilizing narrative inquiry, some of the reflections are comparative with the United M States, and some reflections focus exclusively on Cuba. The book takes readers on a journey of thought-provoking stories that reflect the excitement, uncertainty, complex- I S ity, and promising possibilities on the cusp of changing diplomatic, political, economic, I and social relationships between the United States and Cuba. A Promising Reality seeks N to broaden the perspectives of its readers regarding US-Cuban relations. This book is G ideal for courses on international relations, international studies, international affairs, comparative cultures, political science, education, politics, sociology, history, race, gen- R der, and social justice. It is a must-read for anyone traveling to Cuba as part of study- E abroad, professional development, or personal adventure. A L I T Y Venessa A. Brown received her PhD from Clark Atlanta University. She is Associate Chancellor for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion; Chief Diversity Officer; and Professor of Social Work at Southern B R Illinois University Edwardsville. O W N & P R A T Menah Pratt-Clarke received her PhD and her JD from Vanderbilt T - C University. She is Vice President for Strategic Affairs; Vice Provost L A for Inclusion and Diversity; and Professor of Education at Virginia R K Tech. E , E D S . www.peterlang.com P E T E R L A N G 105 A Promising Reality: Reflections on Race, Gender, and Culture in Cuba is a compilation of the reflections of a group of chief diversity officers, faculty, and educators from the United States about Cuba. As part of the National Association of Diversity Officers in A Higher Education delegation to Cuba in July, 2015, A Promising Reality represents a col- lection of voices, experiences, and perspectives about issues of race, gender, cultural P identity, and the African experience in Cuba. Key themes explored include Cuban cul- R ture, the Cuban Revolution, politics, economics, education, equity, and social change. O Utilizing narrative inquiry, some of the reflections are comparative with the United M States, and some reflections focus exclusively on Cuba. The book takes readers on a journey of thought-provoking stories that reflect the excitement, uncertainty, complex- I S ity, and promising possibilities on the cusp of changing diplomatic, political, economic, I and social relationships between the United States and Cuba. A Promising Reality seeks N to broaden the perspectives of its readers regarding US-Cuban relations. This book is G ideal for courses on international relations, international studies, international affairs, comparative cultures, political science, education, politics, sociology, history, race, gen- R der, and social justice. It is a must-read for anyone traveling to Cuba as part of study- E abroad, professional development, or personal adventure. A L I T Y Venessa A. Brown received her PhD from Clark Atlanta University. She is Associate Chancellor for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion; Chief Diversity Officer; and Professor of Social Work at Southern B R Illinois University Edwardsville. O W N & P R A T Menah Pratt-Clarke received her PhD and her JD from Vanderbilt T - C University. She is Vice President for Strategic Affairs; Vice Provost L A for Inclusion and Diversity; and Professor of Education at Virginia R K Tech. E , E D S . www.peterlang.com P E T E R L A N G ADVANCE PRAISE FOR A Promising Reality “This book is an exciting and thought provoking set of reflections on Cuba, stimulated by a visit by US higher education chief diversity officers and faculty. Crisp analyses and deeply moving personal reflections make this a must-read and an important addition to personal and university libraries. A first of its kind on the current state of the island of Cuba, its complex relationship with the United States, and what we might expect in the coming years, as US-Cuban relations continue to shift.” —Benjamin D. Reese, Jr., Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Duke University/Duke University Health System “This book summarizes the reflections of a group of university chief diversity officers and other educators on current issues in Cuba. Issues of race, gender, cultural identity, and the African experience in Cuba are explored and discussed from a number of interesting perspectives. Given the rapidly changing economic, political, and social relationships between the United States and Cuba, this book is highly recommended for college and university courses on international studies, international affairs, political science and sociology. Faculty and administrators seeking to develop educational programs with Cuba, or partnerships with Cuban universities or organizations, will find this book to be a valuable resource.” —Julie Furst-Bowe, Former Chancellor, Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville; Vice President of Instruction, Chippewa Valley Technical College A Promising Reality Rochelle Brock and Cynthia Dillard Executive Editors Vol. 105 The Black Studies and Critical Thinking series is part of the Peter Lang Education list. Every volume is peer reviewed and meets the highest quality standards for content and production. PETER LANG New York  Bern  Frankfurt  Berlin Brussels  Vienna  Oxford  Warsaw A Promising Reality Reflections on Race, Gender, and Culture in Cuba Venessa Ann Brown EDITED BY Menah Pratt-Clarke AND PETER LANG New York  Bern  Frankfurt  Berlin Brussels  Vienna  Oxford  Warsaw Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Brown, Venessa Ann, editor. | Pratt-Clarke, Menah A. E., editor. Title: A promising reality: reflections on race, gender, and culture in Cuba / edited by Venessa Ann Brown and Menah Pratt-Clarke. Other titles: Reflections on race, gender, and culture in Cuba Description: New York: Peter Lang. Series: Black studies and critical thinking; 105 | ISSN 1947-5985 Includes bibliographical references. Identifiers: LCCN 2017026090 | ISBN 978-1-4331-3308-4 (hardback: alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4331-3307-7 (paperback: alk. paper) | ISBN 978-1-4539-1872-2 (ebook pdf) ISBN 978-1-4331-4651-0 (epub) | ISBN 978-1-4331-4652-7 (mobi) Subjects: LCSH: LCSH: Cuba—Race relations. | Social classes—Cuba. Women—Cuba—Social conditions. | Multiculturalism—Cuba. National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (U.S.) Educational exchanges—Cuba. | Educational exchanges—United States. Classification: LCC F1789.A1 P76 | DDC 305.097291—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017026090 DOI 10.3726/978-1-4539-1872-2 Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de/. The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council of Library Resources. © 2018 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York 29 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10006 www.peterlang.com All rights reserved. Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm, xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited. Printed in the United States of America “To Educate is to Free” —Jose Martí