Was Castro’s Cuban Revolution a Victory for Afrikan People? 1/4: Main Arguments

Tendai MWARI

Was Castro’s Cuban Revolution a Victory for Afrikan People?

The passing of Fidel Castro in Dec 2016 once again centralised the nation of Cuba in the eyes of the world. He was hailed as everything from a Tyrannical Dictator to the Greatest Revolutionary of our era. Among the Black activist community, superlative praise was by far the prevailing voice, with some going as far as to declare him "Afrikan" and therefore a "Revered Ancestor".

Still, since the Cuban Revolution of 1959, debate has raged around it's relevance to the Afrikan People of the world. The conditions of Afro-Cubans and the Cuban Governments relationship to the Afrikan continent are topics that inspire varied and complex points of view, often splitting opinions among the Pan-Afrikan community.

At this the first NOMMO for 2017 and a part of our ALKEBU-LAN @30 series, we invite the community to take part in this critical debate. In the spirit of Afrikan Revolutionary Respect, Love & Unity, we put our ideological perspectives to the test for the education & benefit of our people at large!

AFRYEA ADOFOH
Life long activists and teacher at the Afruika Bantu Saturday School.

ASARI SOBUKWE
Brother Asari joined the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (A-APRP) in 1988. He has travelled and organized extensively throughout the world. His travels and political work has taken him to Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Caribbean. In 2011 during an Anti-Imperialist March in Accra, Ghana condemning and bringing light on the Imperialist attacks on the Libyan Jamahiriya, Asari along with dozens of other activists from Africa, Europe and North America were arrested by the Ghanaian State Security Forces. This group became to be known as the ACCRA 25. He was one of the founding members of AJAMU (Pan-African Youth Focus Group for the A-APRP in Britain) in 2006. Asari regularly speaks on Pan-African, Socialist and Anti-imperialist platforms, including the radio and TV.

BRO. LDR. MBANDAKA
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK and national co-Chair of the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Guide To Excellence.

ISIS AMLAK
Isis Amlak has over twenty five years’ experience as an activist, and community organiser. She lives in West London where she has been active in local democracy, and community arts and music production. For over 20 years she has worked the not for profit sector, both in paid and voluntary roles. She has a strong track record in community development, management, training and equalities work. Isis has worked extensively with racialised and minoritised communities in the UK around issues such as criminal justice, health, economic justice and Equality, Diversity & Human Rights. Isis is a member of the One Voice Community Collective, a trustee of the Octavia Foundation and a Director of Olmec and on the Facilitating Group of Edge Fund.