On the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly, activists and community members from the historic Black neighborhood in New York City welcomed the Cuban diplomatic delegation that traveled to New York City for the UN proceedings. The reception held at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture was organized by the Harlem-Cuba Welcome Committee and celebrated the historic bonds between Cuba and Harlem, and the bonds between the Cuban people and Black people in the United States.
Rosemari Mealy, the co-convener of the Harlem-Cuba Welcome Committee and the author of the book Fidel and Malcolm: Memories of a Meeting, welcomed the Cuban delegation led by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez stating, “In these trying times marked by the scourge of genocides committed with impunity, the horror of imperial wars, the looming catastrophe of climate change, and the slow decay of the Empire, our meeting here at the Schomburg Center is no mere coincidence. It is a deliberate act of resistance.”
She added, “Here in the heart of Harlem, we are affirming our commitment to international solidarity. Drawing on our shared histories and herstories and struggles to forge a path toward a just and equitable world. We dare to invent the future, harnessing our collective power, sharpening our energies, sharpening our strategies, and confront these global assaults with a united front.”
The deputy director of the center, Kevin C. Matthews emphasized that the event welcoming the Cuban delegation was exactly what the namesake of the center, Afro-Puerto Rican scholar Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, would have loved to see. Matthews told guests, “We know from his writings and his affiliations that Arturo was deeply committed to freedom and independence coming to the islands, communities of people that were once held in bondage and oppressed by imperialism.”
One of the distinguished guests, former US representative from Harlem Charles Rangel who maintained a strong anti-war and anti-US imperialist stance throughout his years in office, addressed the Cuban delegation and affirmed, “No matter what governments do. You cannot stop the Cuban people loving us, and you cannot stop the American people from loving Cuba.”
The 94-year-old Harlem activist and former lawmaker stated that, “Colonialism is a disease not only responsible for those of us of color, not just Europe and Africa, but all over the world, this painful exploitation of human beings is wrong. Fidel Castro would come here to this country. and enhance our ability to have people like Adam Clayton Powell, Charles Rangel…because they knew the injustices that we have felt, Cubans have felt and so many other people in the corner of the world.”
For his part, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez told attendees, “We are linked by historical bonds of solidarity and cultural affinity, and therefore we always avail ourselves of our commitments to the United Nations to visit Harlem whenever we are in New York. To be present here today in the Schomburg center is a special privilege.”
Rodríguez also highlighted that the Cuban people and the people of the United States have a shared struggle against racism and discrimination of Afro-descendant people. He stated “It’s not possible to understand Cuba without following the means that gave rise to our people, which is essentially a melting pot of European and African cultures, merged into a single ethnic character, which is a source of pride and part of our national identity.”
Harlem Welcomes Cuba! Tonight at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the community gave a warm welcome to the Foreign Minister of Cuba, Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla @BrunoRguezP. Harlem and Cuba are connected through a shared commitment to the struggle for… pic.twitter.com/sM8y5jaG10
— The People’s Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) September 24, 2024
Manolo De Los Santos, the executive director of the People’s Forum and the co-convenor of the Harlem-Cuba Welcome Committee, also emphasized the historic links of struggle, “Both our peoples have shared a lot. Blood, sweat and tears in struggles for liberation on both sides. But we have also been capable of producing beautiful creative contributions to humanity. We hope that this evening, this opportunity to connect with our brothers and sisters from here will serve as a bridge over the difficult rivers of today.”
Adding, “We hope that we can again welcome Cuba, perhaps in better circumstances, circumstances that speak of normalization in its full, true sense, of peace and justice and dialogue between two sovereign nations.”
