On Saturday March 13, in the auditorium of the Lavonya DeJean Middle School, in the City of Richmond California, a large number of people gathered to commemorate International Women's Day for the third consecutive year.
Under the title "Women in Solidarity: Healing Our Beloved Community" more than 300 people, the great majority women, met to share the problems that affect all of them at the local, national and international level.
In a display of the great diversity of this city located in the north of the San Francisco Bay Area, the meeting brought together Afro-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asians, whites and other races. People of all ages and walks of life were represented. For several hours they were able to leave behind the grave difficulties facing the majority of working families in the area to engage in an entire day of sisterhood and solidarity.
It was a day of reflection and enjoyment of Native American and Afro-Puerto Rican drums, African and Polynesian dances, poems and speeches by community leaders. It was also a day to share experiences and look for solutions to common problems that affect this community of more than 100,000 residents. During the celebration the participants were able to express a sense of pride in their city that is often slandered in the main stream media. There was also a strong current of admiration for their mayor, Gayle McLauglin.
As in previous years, this event allowed the community of Richmond to open its doors to the case of the Cuban Five imprisoned in the United States for fighting against terrorism. Signs with photos of Olga and René, Gerardo and Adriana demanding their right to family visits were posted throughout the auditorium. A hand painted banner showed the dignified faces of Rene, Ramón, Gerardo, Fernando and Antonio.
The words of renowned writer Alice Walker, through a brief video, explained the unjust imprisonment of the Cuban Five and the suffering that their families have endured bringing tears to the eyes of many in the audience.
When participants had the opportunity to visit informational tables from the different groups that organized the event, many joined the table of the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five to ask for more information about the case. In what has become a common occurrence at events where the participants are introduced to the injustice of the Cuban Five for the first time, some asked "How can it be possible that I have never heard about these five men?". Another woman after listening to the explanation that the Five never killed anybody and were not a threat to US national security said "But...how can it be possible that one of them was sentenced to 2 life terms?" Another skeptical youth asked "How can it be that the government denies their wives the right to visit them?" Many people signed postcards for the new campaign directed towards President Obama. Others took with them informational material to learn more about the Five.
Having the case of the Cuban Five and the denial of visas to their wives as part of the program at the International Women's Day in Richmond, is another step in the effort being made in the United States to reach out to a wider audience. It was precisely this point that the Mayor of Richmond explained in a recent interview with Prensa Latina when she stated, "US public opinion is key to the freedom of the Cuban Five."
