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Obama talked about race.
In a speech to the Cuban people, Obama said that slaves built both the U.S. and Cuba, and talked about racial inequalities using his parents – his mother was white and his father was Kenyan – as an example. Obama, who critiqued the racial climate in the U.S., explained that he hoped the new re-established relations would push race relations forward on the Caribbean island.
“We want our engagement to help lift up Cubans who are of African descent, who have proven there’s nothing they cannot achieve when given the chance,” he said during his speech on Tuesday, according to the New York Times.
Though the revolution ended segregation at schools and neighborhoods, it didn’t end racism, as Fidel Castro claimed. Still, talking about race isn’t exactly welcomed. The government indirectly banned two of Soandry’s songs that discuss racism. He is allowed to perform the songs, but he will face consequences.
“Well, I’m kind of allowed to sing them, but it puts the success of the concert and my colleagues at risk,” Soandres told Henry Louis Gates Jr. “The police could stop the concert right then and there. I could maybe sing that song, but the next person might not be allowed on stage, and that would be a loss for the rap movement. We want hip-hop to continue.”
Obama’s visit put race in the forefront.
