US President Obama took historic steps to normalize US-Cuban relations after decades of pointless hostility. Trump, true to form, has reversed course, seeking once again to isolate and impoverish Cuba.
To enlighten us on the damage done and what we can do about it, we’ve invited three experts whose work to improve relations between the United States and Cuba spans decades.
Rosemarie Mealy, Sujatha Fernandes and Walter Turner will provide important context while breaking down the malicious actions and misleading proclamations from the US administration. They will also provide a roadmap for action and explain why traveling to Cuba remains so important.
Rosemarie Mealy is board member of the Intereligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO). She regularly organizes delegations to Cuba with them. She worked with the Venceremos Brigade in the 1960’s and 70’s in defiance of the US Travel ban. She authored “Fidel and Malcolm X-Memories of a Meeting ” on the historic 1960 conversation between Fidel Castro and Malcom X in Harlem.
Walter Turner is a Professor of African Studies and a founder of RESPECT (Responsible and Ethical Cuba Travel). He is the President of the Board of Global Exchange and has long been our organization’s principle liaison to the island.
Sujatha Fernandes is a Professor of Political Economy and Sociology at the University of Sydney (Australia) who has done in-depth research on global social and labor movements in Latin America. She taught at the City University of New York for a decade and continues to hold a visiting position there. She has closely monitored and written about US normalization efforts and their reversal under Trump and is the author of several books, including Cuba Represent! and Curated Stories.