Afro-Cuban Resistance and Revolution

The resistance and revolutions of those of African descent are prevalent throughout the controversial history of slavery and oppression. Over the course of history there have been so many black led revolts against those who would oppress African descendants. We see this across all regions and nations within the African Diaspora.

Along with leading their own revolts and uprisings to gain freedom and rights, they have fought along side those who would continue to oppress them, to gain independence for the nations they now belong to. Of course, everyone knows about African-American slaves fighting alongside their oppressors against British rule. But how well versed are people when discussing the relentless and determined Afro-Cubans, who not only fought hard for their rights and freedom from slavery and racism, but also from Spain and other dictators who would dare deny them the freedom they so desperately yearn for as a nation.

Going to the beginning of the existence of Afro-Cubans, the first few African slaves arrived in Cuba in 1513. Not too long after in 1533, did slaves revolt at the Jobabo mines. It didn't stop there though! There obviously aren't recorded records of every revolt or should I say we don't have access to all those records, but this sparked a continuum of uprisings of African slaves against their slaveowners. Like in the colonies of the U.S., many slaves would revolt and then flee into the mountains to create maroons, independent African settlements hidden away from (in this case) Spanish colonizers.

From the 17th to 19th century there had been an influx of Africans being brought to Cuba to fulfill the labor needs. A man named Carlos Cespedes gathered his slaves in October of 1868 to say that he planned on freeing Cuba from Spain by force, starting the Ten Years War. This was similar to the U.S. colonies who forced their slaves to fight against the British Empire. This segued Afro-Cubans into militant positions and even leadership opportunities.

Quintin Bandera (born 10/30/1834), had been involved in Cuba's anti colonial struggle since 1851. He was a soldier in all three wars Cuba fought to gain their independence. During the Ten Years War, he rose through the ranks from private to lieutenant colonel. He was especially influential in the final war, being one of the first to actually rise up. He was ambushed and killed in 1906 during an armed rebellion.

Another prominent resistance leader was Antonio Maceo "the Bronze Titan" (born 6/14/1845). Like Bandera, he quickly rose through the ranks during the Ten Years War from private to lieutenant colonel within months, and to general within a few years. Maceo was known for his resistance in any treaty or agreement that did not promote freedom and rights for Afro-Cubans. After many battles and even being revered by a lot of Spaniards, he was ambushed and killed in 1896.

Guillermo Moncada (born 7/25/1840) was another black leader in the Cuban independence wars. By 1870 he rose to the rank of captain. Like many black leaders in Cuba, he received a lot of backlash, even with the starting of rumors about him. He took the role of major general leading the army in Oriente. He later died in April of 1895.

These Afro-Cuban leaders along with a plethora of others, fought hard to rise through ranks in the military in a racist society, where many of the people that looked like them were still slaves. Afro-Cubans continued to lead the way and take part in fighting for their freedom and rights from slavery and racism, from Spain's rule, and even from the control of the U.S. during the reign of Castro. Resistance is more than just those who fought in revolutions and uprisings. Resistance can be as small as refusal to do some sort of work load from their slave owners, to running away to create their own settlements. Those of African descent continue to be innovative in resisting a system that has oppressed and enslaved them for centuries. This fight continues on to modern day as Cuba faces many challenges throughout the 21st century. One of the things that branches all African descendants together throughout the diaspora of our people...resistance, the refusal to accept and comply with oppression and inequality!