Afro Cuba: XVI Congreso Annual
Sunday, October 29, 2017
9 am – 6 pm
The New School
Theresa Lang Center
Arnhold Hall (2nd Floor)
55 West 13th Street, NYC
The New School faculty, staff, and students can attend the conference absolutely gratis by pre-registering in this link and showing proper I.D. at the door:
1. RSVP at this link by October 15th, 2017. If you have any questions, please reach out to: cccofny@aol.com
2. On the morning of the event, please make sure to bring your New School ID with you for free admission.
Afro Cuba: XVI Congreso Annual
The Cuban Cultural Center of New York partners with The New School to celebrate its 16th annual consecutive conference —this year dedicated to the history and legacy of black Cubans and their influence and legacy worldwide.
The all-day event will feature a sweeping historical overview of the black presence in Cuba from colonial times to the present, featuring archival photographs and film footage throughout the day.
The conference will highlight the introduction of slavery on the Island and its socioeconomic vestiges throughout the Republican and post-Revolution eras, the black man’s pivotal participation in the Cuban wars of independence, the African religions and their manifest role in Cuba’s cultural syncretism, the preeminent leadership of blacks in the today’s civic resistance movement, as well as the outstanding achievements and influence of black Cubans across cultural genres, including music, literature, sports, dance, and the plastic arts—in both the national and international realms—for the last two centuries. The program will also include discussions on race and national identity, addressing the sensitive topic of racism, and will cap with an all-out Cuban jazz-jam. The event will be dedicated to Juan Gualberto Gómez, an exceptional figure in Cuba’s gestation as a nation.
Key luminaries in the field of Afro-Cuban studies will be invited to the conference, including Harvard professor Alejandro de la Fuente, as well as other scholars and artists, such as Ramón Colás, Yesenia Selier, Juan Benemelis, Lourdes Gil, Enrique Patterson, Tania León, Carlos del Pino, Odette Casamayor, Jorge Olivera Castillo, Raquel Vinat, and Paquito D’Rivera. Throughout the day, the conference will also feature stills and video segments of great musicians, artists, and filmmakers, including Carlos Acosta, Caridad Martínez, Brindis de Salas, Gloria Rolando, Zoila Gálvez, Lico Jiménez, Bola de Nieve, among others, with a special tribute to plastic artist Belkis Ayón.
