Benson states, “Afro-Cubans responded in a variety of ways. One way is that obviously, many people supported it. When Castro made the announcement, and said, “We’re going to eliminate racial discrimination, and this will be one of the battles of the Revolution,” many blacks and mulatos applauded. They were incredibly excited that revolutionary leaders were condemning racism. There were also activists who negotiated with the state and tried to push for more. In the book, I explore how Afro-Cuban activists used the exact same rhetoric that the government employed in the campaign against racial discrimination. However, they turn the rhetoric on itself in order to pressure the government to provide more rights and resources to Afro-Cubans. Once the revolutionary government began using antiracist rhetoric and linked it to the Revolution, some Afro-Cubans responded with even more robust …show more content…
Under Castro’s government, Cuba would push for and overall literacy program. The 1961 Literacy campaign had all colors of Cubans coming together to conquer the illiteracy issue of the nation. According to Benson, illiteracy in Cuba decreased from 23.6% to 3.9%, with the help of 270,000 literacy teachers, and more than half were youth. Graciela Chailoux, who is a professor at the University of Havana, describes the Literacy Campaign. Chailoux, was just an 11-year-old Afro-Cuban girl when she joined the campaign. Spending approximately 8 months within the countryside of Cuba, teaching black and white Cubans how to read. Chailoux states, “It was a special moment and everyone’s strength was put into