Directed by Nonprofit Management Professor Robin Hayes, “Black and Cuba”, premiers Friday at the Pan-African Film Festival in Los Angeles. It follows a diverse group of street-smart students who are outcast at an elite Ivy League university, and band together to adventure to Cuba to see if revolution is truly possible. While filming their poignant encounters with AfroCuban youth, the American travelers question if either nation is post-racial or color blind. This documentary combines edgy archival footage and hip hop styled narration with exuberant scenes of island life to uncover renewed hope for equality and human rights.
Dr. Hayes says, “During this journey, my fellow students and I were confronted with stark realities that challenge romantic notions about post-racial prosperity and color-blindness in both the US and Cuba. However, realizing that AfroCubans and African Americans continue to have experiences of inequality in common renewed our hope that we can make a difference. With Black and Cuba, I aim to stimulate a vibrant international discussion that encourages audiences with a variety of perspectives to see themselves as agents of change.”
