Exploring Cuba

Reviews / Votes

"Like all of Lewis W. Diuguid's writings, "Exploring Cuba" is fire - a jazzy embrace, an easy-to-read flight. Diuguid's partnership with educator-activist Bette Tate-Beaver invites readers to join their anti-racist delegations to Cuba, bringing a critical multicultural education lens to U.S.-Cuba relations, offering hope through international collaborations and the joy of Cuban cultural sustenance. Join Tate-Beaver and Diuguid as they meander through Cuban streets, illustrate revolutionary histories, sit next to children in schools, dance in late-night jazz cafes, and capture both the impacts of ongoing U.S. racism, and ways of transforming toward love. Required reading for the revolution." - Christopher B. Knaus, Professor, University of Washington Tacoma, USA, and Professor Extraordinarius, University of South Africa.

"An insightful and extraordinary insider's journal of life and culture in present-day Cuba. The authors take you on a journey that debunks many of the myths, misinformation, and stereotypes that are the typical fodder fed to the American masses by the U.S. media. The history, perspectives, and experiences described in exceptionally detailed prose are based on extensive research and well-planned collaborations between U.S. educators representing the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) and Cubans from many walks of life. Readers gain insights into an authentic Cuba that most of the world will never experience firsthand." - Dr. Ludwig "Ludy" van Broekhuizen, NAME President-elect.

"Reading the chapters of this book, renewed my memories of the extraordinary experiences I had in Cuba. Lewis's eloquent descriptive writing of the Cuba people, their poor living conditions escalated by the US embargo, and their culture enthralls the reader to look forward to the next chapter. This book presents an even keel perspective of a journalist who visited Cuba six times from 2015 to 2019 with his partner, Bette Tate-Beaver, and representatives of NAME. Anyone interested in the status quo of Cuba will find this book a very good read." - H. Prentice Baptiste, Past NAME President, Regents and Distinguished Achievement Professor at Health, Education and Social Transformation College, New Mexico State University, USA.

"Extraordinary. Educational. Provocative. Written with quiet passion, this book takes the reader on a journey behind the curtain that obscures the truth about Cuba. Focusing on the people, the government, and multiculturalism, Diuguid candidly dispels many myths and misconceptions about life in a country that has been vilified by the United States for decades." - Gwendolyn Grant, President and CEO, Urban League of Greater Kansas City.

"As an educator, this book reminded me of the passion for literacy, critical thinking, and honest self-reflection that brought me to the classroom in the first place through Teach for America. Not only does this book capture, with delicate richness and care, the vividness of Cuba as a national community, it shatters the entrenched and antiquated Cold War philosophies of our neighbors passed down from an earlier generation. Part history, part journal, Lewis W. Diuguid chooses warmth in his retelling of how the dynamic partnership between he and Bette Tate-Beaver, forged by love and fortified by learning, created an experience that changed the lives of many, myself included." - Nadia Nibbs, Midwest Regional Senior Manager of Academics with TNTP Inc.

"Exploring Cuba: Erasing Fears through Multicultural Education presents an authentic view of a country that has been vilified by many in the U.S. The stories told in this book connect the past with the present and hopefully, provide a path to a meaningful future." - Earnest L. Perry Jr., Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, Missouri School of Journalism, USA.

"This powerful, heart filled, treasure gifts the reader with a deep understanding of the complex, untold history of Cuba from a very personal and up-close perspective. The authors' passion, love and dedication for exploring, understanding and sharing this about a nation of "We" to an audience so unfamiliar with the truth will transform the readers' relationship with Cuba forever." - Krista McAtee, NAME Board Member & Love in Education Leader.

"An inspiring book representative of varied relationships and critical moments. A true description of how partnerships and collaborations create space for truth, growth, and evolution inspired by revolutionary spirit." - Brandon L. Fox, Associate Professor

Department of Teacher Education and Social Work, Middle Georgia State University, USA.

"Throughout history, tensions existed between Cuba and the United States, and in this book, Lewis W. Diuguid provides an exploration of this relationship interwoven with personal stories, accurate historical details, equitable education, and authentic conversations between U.S. and Cuban citizens. The author illustrates the connections and differences between the two countries that could facilitate new perspectives and ameliorate the relations. This book comes at a crucial time and will interest a variety of audiences." - Susan V. Bennett, Region 3 Director at National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME); Associate Professor, Literacy Studies at University of South Florida-St. Petersburg Campus, USA.