The photo above of Jay-Z wearing a t-shirt celebrating a racist mass murderer says more about his complete and utter ignorance than anything I or anyone else can say. If the outspoken Jay-Z were around during Ché’s heyday, he would have been insulted, beaten, and sent to a forced labor camp by Guevara all because the Argentine revolutionary believed the color of Jay-Z’s skin precluded him from the same rights as whites. For two people whose business acumen appears to be tops in their field, their understanding of humanity, suffering, and racism seems to be disturbingly imbecilic, as the photo above makes clear.
What may not be perfectly clear to everyone is the effect this visit by Jay-Z and Beyonce has on those on the island who share their skin color. For all intents and purposes, it tells the black victims of racism in Cuba that it is okay for them to suffer discrimination.
They do not have to actually say it; their actions speak louder than words.
As one of the most successful couples in the music industry strolled through the streets of Havana surrounded by bodyguards and handlers from the Castro dictatorship, there is a black woman named Sonia Garro who along with her black husband have been imprisoned in Cuba for over a year without charges or a trial. All because they think differently than Jay-Z and Beyonce’s hosts. While enjoying cigars and expensive drinks, their white Cuban hosts are disseminating a video throughout the world portraying Berta Soler, the black leader of the Ladies in White, as an ape.
As Beyonce posed for pictures with uniformed Cuban children who are indoctrinated to worship Fidel Castro, Raul Castro, and Ché Guevara, racist white men who despise anyone of color, a black Cuban rapper is sitting in a Cuban gulag for rapping about freedom and respect for human rights. And while they enjoyed a meal at an exclusive Havana restaurant, spending perhaps twice the yearly salary of a typical Cuban, human rights activists in Camaguey are beaten and arrested for publicly protesting the beating and the government’s refusal to provide medical attention to a black dissident, Yris Tamara Perez.
And if anyone believes that this visit is no big deal and it makes no difference one way or another, the Castro dictatorship knows better:
Media focused on dissident instead of Beyonce, Cuban official laments
(Reuters) – The media is too fixated on Cuba’s best-known dissident, blogger Yoani Sanchez, who is on an 80-day multination tour, and has not focused enough on important news in Cuba like the visit of pop star Beyonce, a Cuban official said on Thursday.
Jose Cabanas, the top Cuban diplomat based in the United States, said Sanchez was garnering much more media coverage than necessary after she was granted a passport and set off in February on a journey to more than a dozen countries.
“Too much attention has been devoted to this lady, taking a lot of attention from the most important … news that has been happening these days in regards to Cuba,” Cabanas said in response to a question at the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank.
“Including the presence of Beyonce, the singer, who is today in Havana, enjoying a lot of attention from the public, but it’s not covered by the media – incredible.”
Beyoncé & Jay-Z
I’m deeply sadden that out of all places in the world , with all the millions your money can buy you chose to celebrate your 5 year anniversary In a communist country “Cuba” 90 miles from the land of the free. You should educate yourself more on communism, before you visit an island where there is no freedom , oppression is an everyday event for the average citizen which you never met. My parents gave up their homeland , careers , family and freedoms along with personal belongings 42 years ago to make sure my brother , sister and I live in a place where democracy and freedom go hand and hand. To you and Jay-Z it’s a novelty to visit Cuba , go to the finest restaurants in Havana which only tourist have access to and smoke fine cigars like if you were in club med. Jay-Z wearing a Che Guevara shirt, does he really know the murderer/sinister person that he represents to Cubans. Why is it that the rich and famous find visiting a Communist country so appealing when so many families have been scarred for life .I’m a Cuban American and I listen to your music but I don’t tolerate when famous/rich personalities like yourselves show no empathy to the Cuban community all over the world . If this was a publicity stunt to get reaction from the Cuban community, you got my attention , but I really think you did it because you’re ignorant of the Cuban tragedy that’s 90 miles from south Florida. Please educate yourself next time you decide to visit an oppress island.
Last time I checked I haven’t seen Wade, LeBron or Bosh having steak sandwiches outside a Havana restaurant ! is it because they are sensitive to their community where they live in? I’m sure you know who they are since you been seeing at games with your music Mongol court side having a good time with LeBron. Last time I checked US citizens are not allowed to travel to Cuba unless you get a special Visa granted only if certain conditions are met. I guess you must of traveled through Insight Cuba . If your excuse is cultural exchange, you’re better off waiting for the next peace concert offered by Latin Grammy singer Juanes and Puerto Rican singer Olga Tañón.
Get yourself a better publicist since the one you have doesn’t do their homework.!
To these people, Cuba is a funky, exotic, “forbidden” place that will get them extra attention and probably extra credit with the crowd they want to impress. They don’t give a shit about Cubans, black or otherwise, except as a suitable backdrop for photo ops, which should surprise no one. There are plenty of “serious” political figures, “intellectuals” and even religious leaders who should be MUCH better informed and have FAR higher standards than these two yet have behaved even worse. Shit happens. A lot.
Jimmy Carter, Jean-Paul Sartre and two popes would be fine with this visit. So who are we to object?
OK, so when is Jay-Z gonna work with the Estefans?
Well, folks, Cuba is supposed to be part of the African disapora after all. I live in NYC, and if you walk down Malcom X Blvd on any warm weekend, you can see peddlers and people tabling. I’ve seen people tabling and selling t-shirts that include Cuba as one of the African disaporic countries, so I’m sure that Jay-Z–fine afrocentric American that he is—feels connected to Cuba. Speaking of, I remember when a group of Cubans that I know used to go to universities to confront pro-castroites, one of the ways that they used to attack the Cubans was to say that they [the Cubans] were white, meaning of course that presumably the non-white pro-castroites [even though they weren’t Cuban] had a greater right to Cuba than the Euro-Cubans. It’s all part of the twisted mindset. I know that Jay-Z is an idiot, but I’m just saying that this afrocentric crap probably played into it. I’m sure that’s why Beyonce who otherwise always has a long following blond weave that would put a Swede to shame is now wearing an African hairdo and clothing. I’m sure that in her pee-brain, she’s trying to fit in with her African brothers and sistas [which is what she thinks that all Cubans are].
The trip was approved by the state department.These two fine citizens are on a reconnaissance tour for the White House.