JOSE MARTI - CUBA'S APOSTLE

By SanPaul Held






















"No man has any special right because he belongs to any specific race; just by saying the word man, we have already said all the rights." José Martí

Tomorrow, January 28 marks the 156th birthday of José Martí. In his short life Marti was a poet, an essayist, a journalist, a revolutionary philosopher, a translator, a professor, a publisher, and a political theorist. Through his writings and political activity, he became a symbol for Cuba's bid for independence from Spain in the 19th century; for his work Martí is referred to as the "Apostle of Cuban Independence.”


From an early age Marti fought against Spanish oppression in Cuba. At the young age of 16 Marti was sentenced to hard labor in a Spanish prison for his political activities. At the prison, young Marti was forced to wear ankle chains. The chains left a scar on is leg that, like the scar on his poet’s soul, would never fully heal. Marti was eventually exiled to Spain. From Spain Marti traveled extensively, including trips to Paris, New York, Tampa Bay and Mexico City. During his many trips Marti worked tirelessly to raise awareness for the cause of Cuban independence.

Marti’s greatness lies in the humanity and universality of his body of work. Although Cuba’s independence was at the very core of Marti’s soul, his writings reveal an intense passion for freedom, justice and equality for ALL people; not just for Cubans.

It was through his writings, poetry, short stories and essays that Martí sought to reach out to all men. He was an inclusive figure who was the very embodiment of Lincoln’s message of “with malice towards none and justice towards all.” In one of his best known short poems, “Cultivo Una Rosa Blanca” (I Plant a White Rose) Marti expressed the idea that we must extend the hand of friendship even to those who treat us badly.

CULTIVO UNA ROSA BLANCA

Cultivo una rosa blanca
En julio como en enero,
Para el amigo sincero
Que me da su mano franca.
Y para el cruel que me arranca
El corazon con que vivo,
Cardo ni ortiga cultivo,
Cultivo una rosa blanca.

I PLANT A WHITE ROSE

I plant a white rose
In July as in January
For the sincere friend
Who gives me his hand in friendship.
And for the cruel one who tears out
the heart with which I live,
I plant neither nettles nor thorns:
I plant a white rose.

In those short, eight lines Martí taught us to love all, not just our friends but our enemies as well. If only people would listen to this simple message, and took it to heart, there were would be a lot less suffering in the world.

Marti saw children as the best hope for a better future. While in exile in New York, Marti published a children’s magazine, La Edad de Oro (The Golden Age). According to Marti, the intention behind the publication of La Edad de Oro was "so that American children may know how people used to live, and how they live nowadays, in America and in other countries; how many things are made, such as glass and iron, steam engines and suspension bridges and electric light; so that when a child sees a coloured stone he will know why the stone is coloured....We shall tell them about everything which is done in factories, where things happen which are stranger and more interesting than the magic in fairy stories. These things are real magic, more marvelous than any....We write for children because it is they who know how to love, because it is children who are the hope for the world.” As a child growing up in Cuba, I received a copy of La Edad de Oro for my seventh birthday. To this day I can still remember curling up in corner of our backyard and being totally fascinated by all the different stories that Marti wrote. One of the stories in La Edad de Oro was titled “Tres Heroes.” It told the story of the three heroes of South America’s battle for independence. I still remember reading about the extraordinary bravery of the three men, Bolivar, Hidalgo, and San Martín, responsible for South America’s freedom.



On April 1, 1895, Marti headed an expedition that sailed for Cuba. The expedition, was composed of several Cuban patriots living in exile, including Martí, Gómez, Ángel Guerra, Francisco Borreo, Cesar Salas and Marcos del Rosariocristi. They landed at Playitas, near Maisi Cape, Cuba, on April 11. Once there, they made contact with the Cuban rebels, who were headed by the Maceo brothers, and started fighting against Spanish troops. By May 13, the expedition reached Dos Rios. On May 19, Gomez faced Ximenez de Sandoval's troops and ordered Martí to stay rearguard, but Martí separated from the bulk of the Cuban forces, and entered the Spanish line.

José Martí was killed in battle against Spanish troops at the Battle of Dos Rios, near the confluence of the rivers Contramaestre and Cauto, on May 19, 1895. At the moment of his death, Martí was leading a charge against a Spanish position. This was around midday and Marti was, as always, dressed in a black jacket, riding a white horse, which made him an easy target for the Spanish soldiers.

Martí’s “Versos Sencillos” (Simple Verses) foreshadowed Martí’s death:

“No me entierren en lo oscuro/A morir como un traidor/Yo soy bueno y como bueno/Moriré de cara al sol." ("Do not bury me in darkness / to die like a traitor / I am good, and as a good man / I will die facing the sun.")

José Martí's life-long dedication to the cause of Cuban independence and his passionate belief in democracy and justice have made him a hero not just to Cubans, but to all freedom-loving persons throughout the entire world. Cubans living in exile, like myself and my family, honor Martí as a figure of hope for the Cuban nation in exile. We see in Martí a bright and shiny beacon for the still unfulfilled promise of a free and democratic Cuba.

Please join me in honoring the life and work of a man born and raised in a small island whose dedication to the ideals of universal justice made him a citizen of the entire world.

¡Viva el Apostol de la Patria!

Here is a video salute to José Martí. It helps if you know Spanish.



The words of one of José Martí’s poems, “Yo Soy Un Hombre Sincero” (I Am a Sincere Man) served as the inspiration for the now world famous song “Guantanamera.”

Here is a version by the BuenaVista Social Club.



Here is another version of Guantanamera by Celia Cruz, one of Cuba’s most popular singers. No Spanish needed, just be prepared to move.



NOTE: I wish to thank my dear friend Debbie Bulloch, for giving me the opportunity to write about José Martí.She knows full well how much it means to me to be able to write about this great man of peace, who was forced to go to battle to fight for the independence for the land that he and I love so much. Gracias.

¡Viva Cuba Libre!