Black Political Activism and the Cuban Republic

Black Political Activism and the Cuban Republic is the latest book in a new line of scholarship that reflects the evolving trajectory of Cuban studies. Like other recent publications, Melina Pappademos’s book reframes ongoing discussions in the field. She analyzes local networks to put forth a convincing argument about the nature of black political activism in republican Cuba. Among its many contributions, Black Political Activism and the Cuban Republic will affect how scholars view electoral politics in Cuba — and indeed formal political channels in general — as meaningful sites of black experiences. The topic is one that has been long eschewed by scholars in favor of examining more subtle forms of black resistance, a choice that, as Pappademos aptly points out, can teeter dangerously on the brink of universalizing black experiences. This might well be the case, and thus this monograph goes a long way toward ensuring that readers...