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Castro was also vocal about ending racial discrimination in the workplace, and was quoted saying he viewed such discrimination as the worst kind. Under his rule, widespread anti-discrimination laws were enacted, and Castro’s government worked to narrow the earning gap between white Cubans and Afro-Cubans via a literacy campaign.

In recent times, Afro-Cubans still enjoy their right to free education and welfare, but many found that more prominent jobs continued to go to white Cubans. Today, just 9 percent of the population consider themselves Black while 26 percent of the population considers themselves mulatto or mestizo. Less than 65 percent of Cubans reported their race as white in the last census numbers taken in 2012.

Many Afro-Cubans are vocal and proud of their Black ancestry and have influenced music, art and entertainment in several capacities. Actresses Rosario Dawson and Gina Torres, the late legendary singer Celia Cruz, Major League Baseball superstar Yasiel Puig, celebrated boxer Kid Chocolate and actor Laz Alonzo are among a handful of well-known Afro-Cuban celebrities.

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Little Known Black History Fact: Afro-Cubans  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com

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