The Miami Herald is one of many publications noting the 50th year anniversary of the Cuban Revolution.  Journalist Liza Gross writes about the re-emergence of sociedades de color, or race-oriented clubs on the island:

"More than 50 years have passed, but Afro-Cuban author Pedro Pérez Sarduy still remembers the dances.

"He and his friends would dress smartly in white linen guayaberas and black bow ties to attend balls at La Bella Unión (Beautiful Union), a social club in his hometown of Santa Clara, Cuba. At these matinés, they danced cha-cha-cha and flirted with girls.

'' 'The matiné went from 1 until 5 with a local orchestra for the kids,' Pérez Sarduy said. 'After that, the dance for adults had a good orchestra because this was important for the prestige of the club.'

"Known in Spanish as sociedades de color, these and similar clubs fell victim to Fidel Castro's drive, shortly after he seized power, to eliminate any aspect of Cuban society that emphasized racial exclusivity. But their spirit and mission have been enjoying a renaissance over the past decade. And the same revolutionary government that once opposed them now seems to welcome their comeback.

"In prerevolutionary Cuba, where Blacks and poor, uneducated whites were denied access to good jobs and ritzy outings, the clubs served as centers to socialize and promote Black racial progress. Many had libraries and offered night classes and sports instruction.

"Above all, the sociedades sought to dispel any negative stereotypes of Blacks."