My affinity with Cuba is largely informed by my personal travels to the island. It began as a quest to document Cuba’s underground music scene and the unique preservation of hip-hop culture. In the era of President Barack Obama and the loosening of US-Cuba travel restrictions, it finally became possible for someone like me, a Dominican-American born in Washington Heights, to physically make that trip. But no US government agency would ever have a vested interest in boasting the heart or humanity of Cuba. It’s because of grassroots agencies like AfroLatinx Travel, one of a growing group of organizations that facilitate trips, tours, tours and itineraries focused on Black heritage, heritage, culture and realities, that I got more than just music from our Caribbean neighbor . . Today, it feels like something close to home.
