Bro. Prince Sherwood recently sent the following letter:
Greetings Honorable President, Bro. Paul Griffin; Distinguished Regional Directors and National Director of Social Action.
The following is an email I forwarded to Bro. Christia Rey for distribution to our brotherhood. He suggested I receive approval from Bro. John White. I believe this matter is of such importance that it warrants the attention of all of you.
The United States and Major Leaque Baseball recently played host to the World Baseball Classic. The U.S. State Department initially denied entry to the Cuban Baseball team because of the long standing foreign policy position against Cuba. After the teams of several countries threatened to pull out of the tournament, Cuba and the U.S. reached an agreement whereby all proceeds earned by the Cuban team would be donated to Katrina victims leaving the Cubans with Zero Dollars from the event.
The news of Cuba’s participation, and its conditions were all well publicized in media outlets across the country. Now, the State Department is saying the agreement with the Cuban’s had them forfeiting all of their proceeds and therefore, they were not in a position to determine where those funds went.
(Katrina Victims – Black People – Cuba Helping – Bush Hurting).
This is unacceptable behavior from the Bush Administration and fails to justify preventing Black people from helping Black people. Cuba is, by the way, 50% Black, 33% Mulatto and only 17% White. But you won’t know that by thinking of all the Miami Cuban’s who are opposed to Fidel Castro. Most of those Miami Cuban’s, by the way, are white Cubans who benefited during the U.S. support of Cuban Dictator Fulguencio Batista during the 1950’s. During the dictatorship, white Cuban’s were living in the lap of luxury, while Afro-Cubans were poor, destitude, illiterate and forced to live in the countryside with no running water and poor health conditions.
Today, Cuba is a model of a government caring for its people. The literacy rate for Afro-Cubans has risen from a mere 40% during the 1960’s to 98% today. Interestingly, no one in Cuba labels themselves as a Black Cuban, or a White Cuban. They are all just Cuban. I’m making these distinction to create a greater understanding.
Many Afro-Cubans are featured prominently in Cuban Television as opposed to the comedic nature that Black American’s are portrayed in U.S. television. And many Afro-Cuban’s hold prominent positions in Cuba’s Government. They have equal voice in Government and are not hampered at all as is the case with the Congressional Black Caucus. But you’ll never hear this mentioned on CNN, or read about it in The Wall Street Journal.
The fact that Fidel Castro wanted to donate the proceeds from the World Baseball Classic to the Katrina victims shows his solidarity with Black People of America.
The fact that Cuba was willing to send over 1000 doctors with medical supplies to New Orleans IMMEDIATELY AFTER KATRINA shows his solidarity with Black People of America, yet the Bush Administration declined Cuba’s offer of Humanitarian Aid and help from the U.S. Government, well, we all know how long it took for them to respond.
HUMANITARIAN AID!!!
What possible reason does any government have to decline an offer of Humanitarian Aid when thousands of people were dead and dying in Louisiana?
Cuba is a nation, a Black Nation, that is independent and free of U.S. influence and corruption. At every turn they try to help the poor Latino’s and Black’s of this country. They even have a program that allows poor, but educated, Black’s & Latino’s to attend Cuba’s Medical School …….FOR FREE. Up to 500 Blacks and 500 Latinos were eligible to go….FREE OF CHARGE!!!! Again, the Bush Administration blocked it and less than 50 students were allowed to travel to Cuba after direct intervention from the Congressional Black Caucus.
Brothers, we need to contact our congressmen from Louisiana and demand they fight for the reallocation of that money to benefit victims of Katrina.
Brother Griffin, I ask that you utilize your position and communicate these sentiments to the Presidents of the other Eight Organizations and encourage them to communicate this to their membership as well.
Distinguished Regional Directors, I would ask that you encourage your regions to educate themselves on this and develop Social Action plans.
Please don’t let this sit in your inbox.
Here’s a related article in which Minister Louis Farrakhan comments.