Devyn Spence Benson
Biographic Data
| ID | 510061 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Devyn Spence Benson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Devyn Spence |
| FAMILY NAME | Benson |
| SIGNATURE | BENSON D S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Louisiana State University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 7 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 3 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 7 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Re-Narrating Mariel
The wave of migrants that arrived in South Florida from Mariel is a familiar story among Cubans, but popular and scholarly understandings of the exodus still exist without sufficient regard for how race mattered for who would be sponsored by families, who would be able to assimilate, and who would benefit from the Cuban enclave. Our essay shows, through oral histories, that Black Mariel migrants were less likely to find jobs and housing and exper…
Redefining Mestizaje
This essay recovers the history of 1960s and 1970s black movements in Cuba through an examination of works by Afro-Cuban intellectuals and their meetings with Caribbean thinkers to show the coexistence of mestizaje and black consciousness as a defining, but overlooked, feature of black activism in Cuba. While the existing literature locates black consciousness in the English- and French-speaking Caribbean, this essay highlights how Afro-Cubans in…
Conflicting Legacies of Antiracism in Cuba
When Raul Castro announced on the morning of November 26, 2016, that his brother, Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, had passed away at the age of 90, initial feelings of shock and disbelief
Antiracism in Cuba
"Analyzing the ideology and rhetoric around race in Cuba and south Florida during the early years of the Cuban revolution, Devyn Spence Benson argues that ideas, stereotypes, and discriminatory practices relating to racial difference persisted despite major efforts by the Cuban state to generate social equality. ... examines 1960s government programs and campaigns against discrimination, showing how such programs frequently negated their efforts …
Radical Moves
Lara Putnam provides a unique glimpse into the daily rituals, rhythms, and rumors that forged a “supranational” black consciousness in the greater Caribbean during the first quarter of the twentieth century. By chronicling the transnational lives of British Caribbean workers and the global ramifications of their actions, Radical Moves adds a new and provocative chapter to African diaspora studies. Putnam’s research reminds us that forging diaspor…
Cuba Calls
This essay explores the role that conversations about race and racism played in forming a partnership between an African American public relations firm and the Cuban National Tourist Institute (INIT) in 1960, just one year after Fidel Castro's victory over Fulgencio Batista. The article highlights how Cuban revolutionary leaders, Afro-Cubans, and African Americans exploited temporary transnational relationships to fight local battles. Claiming th…
Owning the Revolution
“Owning the Revolution” explores the role that conversations about race and racism played in defining the 1959 Cuban Revolution both on the island and in South Florida, where over half of the exiles fled. It highlights how revolutionary leaders challenged internal and external opposition movements by publicly labeling dissenters “counterrevolutionaries” and “racists.” Using the label “racist” to attack an opponent was not altogether new in the 19…
Cuba Calls
This essay explores the role that conversations about race and racism played in forming a partnership between an African American public relations firm and the Cuban National Tourist Institute (INIT) in 1960, just one year after Fidel Castro's victory over Fulgencio Batista. The article highlights how Cuban revolutionary leaders, Afro-Cubans, and African Americans exploited temporary transnational relationships to fight local battles. Claiming th…
Owning the Revolution
“Owning the Revolution” explores the role that conversations about race and racism played in defining the 1959 Cuban Revolution both on the island and in South Florida, where over half of the exiles fled. It highlights how revolutionary leaders challenged internal and external opposition movements by publicly labeling dissenters “counterrevolutionaries” and “racists.” Using the label “racist” to attack an opponent was not altogether new in the 19…
Owning the Revolution
“Owning the Revolution” explores the role that conversations about race and racism played in defining the 1959 Cuban Revolution both on the island and in South Florida, where over half of the exiles fled. It highlights how revolutionary leaders challenged internal and external opposition movements by publicly labeling dissenters “counterrevolutionaries” and “racists.” Using the label “racist” to attack an opponent was not altogether new in the 19…
Cuba Calls
This essay explores the role that conversations about race and racism played in forming a partnership between an African American public relations firm and the Cuban National Tourist Institute (INIT) in 1960, just one year after Fidel Castro's victory over Fulgencio Batista. The article highlights how Cuban revolutionary leaders, Afro-Cubans, and African Americans exploited temporary transnational relationships to fight local battles. Claiming th…
Radical Moves
Lara Putnam provides a unique glimpse into the daily rituals, rhythms, and rumors that forged a “supranational” black consciousness in the greater Caribbean during the first quarter of the twentieth century. By chronicling the transnational lives of British Caribbean workers and the global ramifications of their actions, Radical Moves adds a new and provocative chapter to African diaspora studies. Putnam’s research reminds us that forging diaspor…
Antiracism in Cuba
"Analyzing the ideology and rhetoric around race in Cuba and south Florida during the early years of the Cuban revolution, Devyn Spence Benson argues that ideas, stereotypes, and discriminatory practices relating to racial difference persisted despite major efforts by the Cuban state to generate social equality. ... examines 1960s government programs and campaigns against discrimination, showing how such programs frequently negated their efforts …
Conflicting Legacies of Antiracism in Cuba
When Raul Castro announced on the morning of November 26, 2016, that his brother, Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, had passed away at the age of 90, initial feelings of shock and disbelief
Re-Narrating Mariel
The wave of migrants that arrived in South Florida from Mariel is a familiar story among Cubans, but popular and scholarly understandings of the exodus still exist without sufficient regard for how race mattered for who would be sponsored by families, who would be able to assimilate, and who would benefit from the Cuban enclave. Our essay shows, through oral histories, that Black Mariel migrants were less likely to find jobs and housing and exper…
Redefining Mestizaje
This essay recovers the history of 1960s and 1970s black movements in Cuba through an examination of works by Afro-Cuban intellectuals and their meetings with Caribbean thinkers to show the coexistence of mestizaje and black consciousness as a defining, but overlooked, feature of black activism in Cuba. While the existing literature locates black consciousness in the English- and French-speaking Caribbean, this essay highlights how Afro-Cubans in…
Cuban History and Society (7 works) · Political science (6 works) · Sociology (6 works) · Gender Studies (5 works) · History (5 works) · Law (5 works) · Politics (5 works) · Latin American and Latino Studies (4 works) · Art (3 works) · Caribbean history, culture, and politics (3 works)