Cuban Literacy Campaign Analysis

On January 1, 1959, Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro overthrew the military regime of the dictator, Fulgencio Batista, in a guerilla movement. Fidel implemented the Cuban literacy campaign shortly after the coup d'etat as a social reform effort to eliminate illiteracy in the country and consolidate power. The campaign began at the start of 1961 and ended on December 22. In Children of the Revolution: A Yankee Teacher in the Cuban Schools, American writer Jonathan Kozol, provides insight into the campaign’s logistical and organizational strategies to abolish illiteracy in such a short period of time. With a lack of teachers, how did the literacy campaign attract and mobilize over 100,000 of Cuba’s youth to teach fellow Cubans to read and write? Cuba’s literacy campaign managed to teach more than 700,000 …show more content…
Maria reminisced about her initial reaction to the literacy campaign at the age of sixteen and admitted that “My first motive, to tell you the truth, was not to teach. It was to be part of a great struggle!” The simple idea of joining a historic revolutionary movement motivated young Cuban’s to leave the comfort of their homes and teach campesinos. According to Maria, the great campaign was her “first chance to take a stand” and “pay homage to the men and women who had given up their lives during the fight against Batista” Maria participation in the literacy campaign highlights the importance of continuing the revolutionary effort. One former brigadista, Armando Valdez, recalled wanting to “prove that we could keep the promise that Fidel had made before the world” Valdez sought to volunteer in the campaign to ensure Castro’s revolutionary promise. He also said, “I did not want it to be said that we would not stand up beside Fidel.” Young Cuban’s responsibility to the revolutionary effort promoted them to join the literacy