?Growing the Size of the Black Woman?: Feminist Activism in Havana Hip Hop

Abstract

- less, Black Cubans do face all manners of discrimination in contemporary Cuba. With few formal political outlets open to young Black Cubans (Fernandes 2003), hip hop has emerged on the island as a powerful form of political expression: a kind of theater of the oppressed that addresses the racial and economic problems encountered by Black Cubans (Boal 1985). The all-female group Las Krudas stands out as particularly courageous within this hip-hop scene. In 2003, I spent four months studying at the University of Havana. While in Cuba, my research partner and I recorded interviews with 23 women of African descent. The members of Las Krudas were among this group. I draw upon these interviews to sketch a portrait of a striking phenomenon: the emergence of a strongly oppositional, Black, feminist activist art in Cuba. I first saw Las Krudas perform at a concert of women rappers; I was struck by their positive message, and they were kind enough to invite me to their home for an interview. We chatted like old friends before we began tape recording the interview. One of the first topics we addressed was how they see their intersecting identities. Olivia tells me: