José Rafael Simón Agapito Serra y Montalvo (March 24, 1858 - October 24, 1909) was an

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans or Black Cubans are Cubans of West African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community and the combining of native African and other cultural ...

intellectual who played a large role in supporting the

Cuban War of Independence The Cuban War of Independence (), fought from 1895 to 1898, was the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two being the Ten Years' War (1868–1878) and the Little War (Cuba), Little War (1879–1880). The ...

. He worked as a writer and editor for Spanish-language newspapers in the United States. He advocated for working class Cubans of color. He was a key figure in New York City, contributing to a larger movement for Cuban Independence happening across the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

Early life

Rafael Serra was born José Rafael Simón Agapito in the Monserrate neighborhood of

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

on March 24, 1858. His surnames were Serra and Montalvo. He was born while slavery continued in Cuba. At age thirteen, his father died and he was forced to abandon his studies to help support his family. He found employment as a

cigar factory The Cigar Factory is a building on the National Historical Register. Located at 701 East Bay Street, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, it was constructed in 1881 and opened in 1882 as the Cotton Mill of Charleston. In 1912, it was purchased by t ...

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

. He later married María Gertrudis Heredia in 1878, and they had four children, including a daughter, Consuelo. A short time later he moved from his hometown to

Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas (Spanish ''Bahia de Matanzas''), east ...

. At the age of 21 he established the Harmony Society for Instruction and Leisure, where he taught classes to children in the day and day laborers at night. The school offered, among other activities, free classes to 48 black and white children.

Career

Rafael Serra played a prominent role in raising awareness and support for the efforts that led to the

during the 1880s and 1890s. Working alongside

José Martí José Julián Martí Pérez (; January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895) was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the liber ...

and other Cuban Americans in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

, Serra was a political journalist who wrote for and edited several newspapers in the United States, including ''La Doctrina de Martí''. On August 5, 1883, an organization called El Club de los Independientes was formed by several Afro-Cuban migrants. Rafael Serra served on the Board of Trustees along with pro-independence and pro-labor revolutionaries Justo Lanigua, Martín Morúa Delgado, and Vicente Diascosmas. They organized themselves so that they could aid in the efforts toward Cuban Independence, hoping to use their experiences to inform Cubans about the harsh realities of life in the United States. Racial inequality persisted while Serra lived in New York City. Afro-Cubans experienced harsh discrimination and segregation and were often left to work difficult, labor-intensive jobs at restaurants and cigar factories. Serra once wrote that, "through no fault of their own, Afro Cubans remained the poorest and most uneducated element of Cuban society." Devoted to promoting the interests of black Cubans, Serra emphasized the importance of education founding educational institutions such as La Liga de Instruccion.

Life Work

La Liga de Instruccion

La Liga de Instruccion was an educational institution founded by Rafael Serra, designed to "elevate the character of men of color born in Cuba and Puerto Rico". La Liga held its first official meeting on January 22, 1890. Black Cuban and Puerto Rican men living in New York City came to study, where they learned how to fight for social justice, equality and labor rights. Serra's goal was to provide black Cuban men with the proper tools to defend themselves.

''La Doctrina de Marti''

Serra founded ''La Doctrina de Marti'', inspired by his friend

. The first volume issue was published on July 25, 1896. The newspaper circulated throughout

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, and

the Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. It was noted as "an important newspaper for all Cubans" by José A Malberti, the president of El Club Político Cubano Bartolome Masó, based in Mexico. The paper had a central focus on educating the working class on political and cultural justice issues.

Selected works

* 1886 - ''Ideas y Pensamientos'' * 1886 - ''Album Poético, Político y Literario'' * 1892 - ''Ensayos Políticos'' * 1895 - ''La Doctrina de Martí: La República con Todo y Para Todos'' * 1895 - ''La Verdad''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Serra, Rafael 1858 births 1909 deaths Cuban journalists Cuban activists