Cuba’s history is a story of colonization and revolution, highlighted by its remarkable cultural resilience over centuries of social and political upheaval. Their story is unique, yet we find elements of our own history in their striving. Originally inhabited by indigenous Taíno people, since 1492 and its discovery by Christopher Columbus, Cuba has seen itself a Spanish colony, with its economy built on sugar plantations and African slave labor, an in-dependent country following the Spanish-American War in 1902, and under a dictatorship since 1959 under Fidel Castro that established a communist state. Today the country continues to grapple with economic challenges. Lucy will help us appreciate how it has preserved its rich and unique culture amid these profound changes.

Lucy Hoffman is the third of five children. She graduated from Clemson University with a master’s degree in history and taught for eight years at Greenville Tech. She has written six books. Two years ago, she and her husband traveled to Cuba, acquiring a deeper appreciation for its fascinating and dynamic history.