Havana

2/1/2024

I finally got some down time to write! Its been non stop since I flew in to Jose Marti airport yesterday. The delegation didn't officially start until today, but I decided to arrive a day early to get acclimated and hunt for side quests. As we began to descend into Jose Marti airport, before the Wi-Fi cut out, I texted the taxi driver that was sent for me a picture of myself and mentioned that I would be outside soon carrying a pair of rollerblades. After one of the smoothest landings I had ever experienced on a plane ride, my adventure had finally begun.

I made it through customs and jumped to the baggage claim to retrieve my luggage, which, luckily, was among the first group that came out. My driver, Juan and I were able to locate each other within seconds of me walking out the door. After graciously helping me wheel my luggage to the car, he let me know he had one more pickup before heading to the Martin Luther King Center. At that point I could feel the dark circles forming under my eyes, but was happy to tag along and meet a new friend.

Overcome with a wave of nostalgia as we cruised through Havana, I explained to Juan that this was my second time in Cuba and that I was excited to be here with a group of like minded folk and a structured learning agenda. He mentioned that his wife organizes political education at the MLK center while he drives a taxi, supporting where he can with rides to and from the airport for delegations. He added that he spent time in Angola as a young man supporting African revolutionaries in their struggle for self determination, motivating me to finish the movie I downloaded for the flight but couldn't get around to completing. Now I can say I talked to someone who experienced it!

He parked on the side of the road somewhere in Havana Vieja and left me to find his next pickup a couple blocks up. I exited the vehicle to take in the scenery, smiling at whoever I made eye contact with. Havana is a busy city with a strong character. I can't wait to connect with Cuban professionals on a personal level and dive into the iteniary, which includes presentations from organizers, scientists, teachers, lawyers, and other civil servants who maintain an unparalleled literacy rate and healthy society despite having to do it under the boot of the u.s. blockade. Juan suddenly appeared onto the street ahead of me, approaching the car next to a tall Black man with a cap on. Enter, Kelvin!!!

Kelvin is an OG South African pastor who runs a community development corporation in Los Angeles. He is in Cuba planning a future cultural exchange for a group of young folks he works with. I was quick to commend his country with a fist bump for putting in work at the International Court of Justice in defense of Palestine. His lively spirit and contagious smile radiated a sense of safety in the car as we drove him to his meeting with an associate named Liz in Havana.

From the back seat, I couldn't help but notice he was texting Liz from Belly of the Beast, a popular internet documentary series where she interviews cultural and political icons like Francia Márquez and Elián González to tell an authentic story of Cuban resilience under blockade from the united states. I blurted out "Is that Liz from Belly of the Beast?!" You could probably imagine how hyped I was when Kelvin responded with an invite for Juan and I to join them for lunch. I enthusiastically accepted!

The slow onset of dementia from the lack of sleep offsetted how hyped I was to be sitting at that table. Kelvin and I learned that we are in community with some of the same organizers in Oakland while Liz gave commentary on her recent tour of the united states. Liz had to bounce for a meeting but invited us to her office for coffee after. (YES!!!) She ordered her food wrapped up to go, eventually leaving Kelvin, Juan, and I to continue to get to know each other and finish our food.

After lunch, we rode to Liz's office space where we met her producer, Gabriela, as she was in the middle of editing a new episode of Belly of the Beast. I spoke a little bit about my communications work and experience organizing cultural exchanges with systems involved youth while Liz and Gabriela told us production stories. They brought out coffee and let me connect to their Wi-Fi to check my messages. It was cool to see Wi-Fi access was not as restrictive as I remembered from my trip in 2017 and initially anticipated coming into this one. Private residences have internet access to do the same kind of communications work I am used to doing at home.

Our time kicking it with the Belly of the Beast team feels like a dream until I look at the group selfie we took on their balcony. God has my fucking back, man. Tomorrow I'll meet the rest of the group and officially begin my second adventure in Cuba!