The need to overcome the condition of subalternity—first from the colonial dominance of Spain, and then from the economic and political hegemony of the United States—in order to gain true independence, underlay the thought and practice of Cuban freedom-fighters throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Exponents such as Félix Varela, José Martí, Enrique José Varona, Manuel Gran and Ernesto Guevara were aware that the spread of culture and the development of modern scientific education and research were essential, not only in order to gain political independence but also for the crucial challenge that would follow, i.e., cutting loose from the condition of subalternity. This challenge was closely interwoven with the shaping of a particular national and cultural identity, commonly called cubanía (Cubanity), a blend of Spanish and African cultural influences. Under US rule and the bloody dictatorships that characterized the 1930s and 1950s, Cuba underwent a profound social and cultural ferment that was to prepare the country for the great upheaval triggered by the handful of young guerrillas who adventurously disembarked from the boat Granma on 2 December 1956. © 2016, The Author(s).

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