Note: This article originally appeared in the Summer 2018 edition of  Carroll Magazine and has been adapted for the web

by Jeannette M. Fregulia, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Chair of the History Department

Cuba: From Colonialism to Revolution in 14 Days?

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It is no secret that the world beyond the boundaries of Helena and the United States holds for me an irresistible allure that continues leading far down Robert Frost’s “road less traveled.” And yet, although I am happy traveling on my own, being a part of the education abroad experiences of Carroll students and members of the community brings an expected grace. January 2018 was no exception as Shannon Ackeret, Assistant Director of Global Education, and I planned and led a study abroad to Cuba, a country, that to be honest, may have been on my seemingly endless life list, yet nevertheless remained inaccessible. Had it not been for the students of Carroll, there it would have remained—distant, unattainable. As anyone who works with students knows, however, once they get an idea, they are seldom deterred. Not satisfied with platitudes and vague pronouncements like, “Cuba, great idea,” there we were, Shannon and I, with well-attended informational meetings and a growing list of interested participants. What follows are some reflections, part mine and part Shannon’s, of our journey to an island ninety miles off the Florida Keys but in so many ways unknown and seemingly unknowable, especially for many of us born after the revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959. For us, Cuba belonged to books, to news reports, and to friendships with those who themselves, or their parents, left Cuba.

Like all faculty-led study abroad experiences, this one began with ruminations on theme, educational outcomes, not-to-be-missed sites, and the organizational necessities of getting from here to there and back again with everyone safe albeit changed after an encounter with the world. We were relatively confident that we had an itinerary with merit, but who knew that the students needed music and dancing, two items conspicuously missing? Add those to the list. Oh, and be sure that the time includes more than just Havana. Done. From this collaboration emerged “Cuba from Colonialism to Revolution.” Amidst new travel restrictions intended to undo efforts begun under the previous administration, our group went forward, all fifteen of us—students, alumni, and family members. Landing in Havana on a warm and sunny January afternoon, and met by a faculty member in the History Department at the University of Havana—who would not just be our guide through the intricacies of daily life in Cuba but would become a friend—Cuba beckoned.

While I could devote this entire article to how two weeks in Cuba left an indelible mark, I will save that to the end, as I suspect many readers are interested in what we saw, what we did, and maybe even what we ate. To give these some context, our days followed a general pattern—lectures in the morning on topics ranging from history to culture to music, with sites and experiences in the afternoon. Given the general lack of knowledge about Cuba, this proved something of a winning formula. From experts, we traced Cuba’s story from the landing of Christopher Columbus and those that followed through its war for independence from Spain (1895-1898) to the complicated history that Cuba has with the United States, a relationship that began with the Spanish-American War and continues evolving. For Shannon, the highlights began with visiting the Plaza de la Revolución and the José Martí Memorial in Havana where Fidel Castro, in 1960, gave his Declaration of Havana to over one million people. These experiences were followed by taking a beautiful drive through Havana in a very colorful classic car, exploring Old Havana, visiting the gravesites of Fidel Castro and Cuban national hero of the War for Independence José Martí in Santiago de Cuba, and the casa particulars (homestays) we enjoyed throughout our time in Cuba. Along with these, I would add that our tour of an old sugar plantation near Trinidad, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, walks along the Malecón (the path that follows the sea in Old Havana), and indulging in a Cuban national past time, watching the world go by from the vantage point of an upper floor terrace, all left me breathless. Oh, and ziplining near Trinidad. The same student who gave us no peace until Cuba started to look like a reality was also the instigator of this experience, and a truly thrilling one it was for a number of us, myself and Shannon included.

H ere are some additional truisms. That famous sandwich the Cubano is a food group, the coffee is every bit as great as people may have heard, and the rum is also pretty good. The old colonial buildings, which have inspired a renovation frenzy in Havana, are stunning reminders both of the wealth that flowed through Cuba, and the misery that the accumulation of that wealth inflicted on so many. The music and dance are powerful reflections of Cuba’s multi-cultural past and present, and the forts and castles that can be found all over the island stand as reminders of Cuba’s importance to Spain during and after the Age of Exploration. Finally, those seeking images of Fidel Castro will be disappointed, as Castro left clear instructions that he not be portrayed after this death.

It cannot remain unremarked that most of the people in Cuba, despite signs of a rising prosperity due in large part to increased tourism, are also monetarily poor, paid in the national currency of lesser value than what is used by visitors, and reliant on a food ration card called a libreta. The food we enjoyed, quite different from the daily diet, our ability to travel, and our evenings sitting on the porch of Havana’s Hotel Presidenté chatting about the day’s events over a drink, were simply not available to most Cubans. This contrast caused one of our students to struggle mightily as she came face to face with our enormous privilege.

Aside from what we saw and experienced, most importantly, “Cuba from Colonialism to Revolution” was a chance to learn, all of us for ourselves, about a country that has loomed large in the history and imagination of the United States for over a century, and was part of the European colonial enterprise, and the history of African slavery, long before that. We visited churches that speak to Cuba’s history of Catholicism. We learned about the Santeria—Afro-Cuban religious beliefs and traditions that came to the island with the Yoruba people of Nigeria and parts of Benin—at the Casa de Africa in Havana. We explored the home of the famous expat Ernest Hemingway. We spent time on the ground, with the people, living in their homes, sharing meals with them, listening to their stories, traversing their countryside. All of this revealed what we suspected all along—that nations and governments may enact embargoes, restrict travel, and vilify one another, but people see things quite differently. Greeted with warmth, a desire to learn, and openness to a new perspective, the people of Cuba, like elsewhere, wanted to know and like us every bit as much as we wanted to be known and liked by them. Open about the pain decades of a U.S. blockade had imposed, but not any less blind to the missteps of their own government than we in the United States are to ours, we saw for ourselves the resilience of a people with a history too long overshadowed by a single event, albeit one that cannot be separated from Cuba’s present. I like to think that we brought back with us knowledge that no people, no place should be reduced to such a narrow understanding.

I close quoting Shannon who cites the words of Jose Marti, “’charm is a product of the unexpected,’ and I certainly didn’t expect to fall in love with Cuba, but I did!” Returning to travel as grace, something undeserved, I would add that it is also about gratitude for the generosity of our hosts, for the unbridled enthusiasm and moments of hilarity only students can provide, and for the privilege of fourteen days in a place that leaves me still both more and less clear about what my time there meant. Cuba is a conundrum where the past and the present collide in a nation that seeks to welcome a growing number of visitors long denied while simultaneously holding fast to its determination to remain true to itself, to create its future on its own terms. What more could one want than to be a part of that, even if just for a short time?

“Study Abroad with Shannon and Jeanette” departs next for two weeks in Israel, Jordan, and Egypt in early June 2019. All are welcome.

To learn more about Carroll’s study abroad programs, visit www.carroll.edu/academics/global-education.

Find out more from a Chemistry student's perspective about the trip here.