The Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba had the opportunity to visit Callejon de las Tradiciones in July. As one part of the Matanzas AfroAtenas comprehensive community development project, the Callejon comprises an urban block of artists in the neighborhood of Pueblo Nuevo. One entire side of the block is an intricate mural in the style of Wilfredo Lam. Closed to traffic, the site is used for street theatre performances depicting the area’s history in the slave trade. According to the project designer: “Since 1555 the presence of slaves is shown in Matanzas. We selected this date as a reference because 2015 will mark 460 years. AfroAtenas will then become a new space [in which] to remember, preserve and enforce the roots and traditions inherited by our people of the cultures of African origin, because, as stated by our National Poet Nicolás Guillén, ‘aquí el que no tiene de congo, tiene de carabalí’ — it’s a Cuban expression to explain that black blood runs through every Cuban’s veins, no matter how white the color of our skin.”     all photos Peter Robbins July 2014