Raleigh FIST tells truth about Cuba

Three members of Raleigh, N.C., FIST (Fight Imperialism-Stand Together) speaking at a Sept. 8 meeting shared a life-changing experience with their community. Tyneisha Bowens, Yolanda Carrington and Dante Strobino were members of the FIST delegation that traveled to Cuba earlier this summer. Joining the Venceramos Brigade and Pastors for Peace, FIST openly challenged the U.S. travel ban on Cuba.

After returning with a firsthand view of contemporary socialism, the young revolutionaries sat down with members of their local community to discuss the tremendous gains of the Cuban revolution.

About 15 community members attended the report back that centered on the travelers’ education on the reality of Cuba and socialism. The three discussed various places they visited and described the people they met and their experiences during their seven-day trip. The emphasis of the report back was on the progressive social programs and government agencies that have changed the racial, sexual and economic climate since the triumph of the Cuban revolution in January 1959.

Carrington and Bowens, both women of color, described their experience in Cuba as their first experience with an anti-racist and anti-sexist society. They discussed their experiences with various Cuban institutions, including meetings with the Young Communist League (UJC), the Cuban hip hop agency and the Center for Sexual Education in Havana. Speaking about these aspects of the trip led to a dialogue on Cuba’s inclusive educational system, universal health care and the Cubans’ political and social unity.

Raleigh FIST is planning another report back in October in hopes of continuing to spread the accurate and unbiased truth about the reality of Cuba.