Cuba on the Horizon - Cuba on the Horizon

The College of Charleston introduces the community to all things Cuban – film, art, music, the Cuban economy, and much more.

Cuba! A source of historic controversy, the island sits tantalizing close to the United States, just 90 miles south of Key West, Florida. But, for more than 50 years the island has been shrouded in mystery to most Americans who were prohibited from going there. As a result of recent political change, Cuba is now on our horizon.

Join us as we delve into the complex relationship between the United States and Cuba, and explore the rich history and culture of Cuba through academic courses, art, dance, film, music and theater.

Recent Posts

Community Perspectives

Memories of the Mariel Boatlift

By Iskra Perez-Salcedo About the Mariel Boatlift The Mariel Boatlift was a mass migration of Cubans who left the island from Mariel Harbor and headed to the United States between April 15 and October 31, 1980. This event was precipitated by…

Cuban Culture

Tourism & the People of Cuba

History is too frequently mistaken as objective truth when, in fact, perspectives of moments taken place years, decades, and centuries past slowly fade away with each generation until those moments are oversimplified by the loudest voices. We…

Community Perspectives

A South Carolina / Cuba Connection

Ambrosio Jose Gonzales (1818-1893). He was born in Mantanzas, Cuba, was a Cuban conspirator who wanted to liberate Cuba from Spanish rule, and later became a Confederate officer. He earned a law degree at Havana University before settling…

Cuban Culture

Cuba and Old Cars

Photography by Mike Ledford During his rule, Fidel Castro placed a ban on purchasing foreign vehicles and car parts, which kept new cars and car parts out of reach. As a result, Cuba is a living car museum where one will easily find cars…

Santería altar in Cuba. – ©Wikimedia Commons by Susanne Bollinger / CC-BY-SA-4.0

Cuban Culture, Faculty Perspectives

Santeria

Santería developed in Cuba during the 19th century and has continued to spread in America, particularly in large cities like Miami, New York, and Los Angeles primarily through Caribbean island immigrants. Originating in West Africa among the…

Manuel Rodriguez, Owner of Charleston's Restaurant, Cortaditos Cuban Cafe

Cuban Culture

Cuban Cooking

As I start to look around his cozy restaurant and we start our conversation in Spanish, I feel closer to Cuba and eager to learn more about its food.

USS Basilone ©Wikimedia Commons by Tony Cowart

Community Perspectives

Gamboa Journal Entry: Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962

Journal entries of naval officer Lieutenant Joseph Gamboa serving aboard Navy destroyer USS BASILONE (DD-824) in and off Guantanamo Naval Base during the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962.

Student's in the College's study-abroad program interact with Cuban students, discussing the cultural differences between Cuba and the United States.

Student Perspectives

Cougars in Cuba

Students immerse themselves in the culture and study with both CofC professors and Cuban professors from some of the most prestigious universities in Cuba, including the University of Havana and the Instituto de Filosofia.

Student Perspectives

The Journeyman: Colin Laverty '06 in Cuba

CofC Grad & his company, Cuba Educational Travel, organizes people-to-people travel, educational exchange programs & research trips between the US & Cuba.

Faculty Perspectives

Recent Posts

Memories of the Mariel Boatlift

Tourism & the People of Cuba

A South Carolina / Cuba Connection

Cuba and Old Cars

Santeria

Cuban Cooking

Gamboa Journal Entry: Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962

Cougars in Cuba

The Journeyman: Colin Laverty '06 in Cuba

Faculty Perspectives

Hemingway in Cuba

The Cuban Economy

Santeria

The Life and Afterlives of Che Guevara

Cuba and Organic Farming

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