Durham, N.C., event discusses imperialist attack on Cuba

Photo: Esperanza Martell

More than 80 people, most from the Black community in Durham, N.C., attended a July 12 community educational event, potluck and fundraiser for the Pastors for Peace Cuba Caravan at the Shepherd’s House United Methodist Church. Hosted by Fight Imperialism, Stand Together and Black Workers for Justice, the event opened with discussion about how the U.S. blockade of Cuba causes shortages of food, medicine and other important supplies for the country’s 11 million people.

The blockade is an imperialist policy that uses hunger and disease as political weapons, yet the Cuban government, run by the working class, has been able to provide universal health care and education to all the people. Meanwhile, in the U.S. our communities and rights are under attack by budget cuts and economic crisis.

Dr. Bill Sales, a veteran of the Civil Rights and Student Power Movements, was the keynote speaker on behalf of Pastors for Peace, in one of the caravan’s 11 stops on that same day. Dante Strobino of Raleigh FIST and Saladin Muhammad of BWFJ presented talks about how local issues connect and are relevant to the Cuban revolution. Rev. John Gumbo, whose church hosted the event, spoke to the crowd about how U.S. imperialism also impacts his home country, Zimbabwe and how the Cubans have reached out to support Zimbabwe.

This year’s caravan is especially important because it is the first one since the death of the Rev. Lucius Walker, the founder of Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization/Pastors for Peace. Many paid tribute to the Rev. Walker’s steadfast fight to defend the Cuban revolution.