The Political Activity of Esperanza Sanchez Mastrapa, the First Afro-Cuban Deputy (1933-1951)

Abstract

This article examines the dual political engagement—both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary— of Esperanza Sánchez Mastrapa, the first “non-white” woman to serve as a deputy in Cuban history. The study seeks to elucidate the interrelationship between her political thought and actions, which synthesized various ideologies —communism, feminism, and anti-racism— to promote social change through a range of spaces (associations, parties, and federations) and at multiple levels (local, national, and international). The analysis focuses, first, on her activism within the Radical Association of Women during the 1930s and the Democratic Federation of Cuban Women in the 1940s, the latter coinciding with her tenure as a congresswoman. Second, it explores her involvement in two communist parties: as a representative of the Communist Revolutionary Union at the 1939 Constituent Assembly and, subsequently, as a deputy for the Popular Socialist Party from 1944 until her expulsion from the party in 1951. By employing a microhistorical approach, this study sheds light on the interconnectedness and potential synergies between communism, feminism, and anti-racism in early 20th-century Cuba, while also highlighting the challenges and contradictions of a liberal republic that lacked the will or capacity to address the demands of women, Afro-descendant populations, and the working class.