Next EVENT - Saturday October 11, 2025 - Cuba's Independence Day - See poster here
The struggle of the Cuban people for independence from Spanish colonial rule began on October 10, 1868 and finally materialized on January 1, 1959 with the victory of the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro!
The genocidal U.S. economic, financial, and trade blockade of Cuba, together with the ongoing genocide in Gaza/Palestine by the Israeli occupation and apartheid regime, exemplify how imperialist and Zionist barbarity seeks to crush the aspirations of nations striving for independence and peace with dignity among peoples.
JOIN US IN SOLIDARITY!
Despite the economic war and media assault by the U.S. aimed at suffocating the Cuban people into submission, join us in celebrating the unifying principles that have made Cuba a beacon of international solidarity, from South Africa to Palestine!
The struggle of the Cuban people for independence from Spanish colonial rule began on October 10, 1868 and finally materialized on January 1, 1959 with the victory of the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro!
The genocidal U.S. economic, financial, and trade blockade of Cuba, together with the ongoing genocide in Gaza/Palestine by the Israeli occupation and apartheid regime, exemplify how imperialist and Zionist barbarity seeks to crush the aspirations of nations striving for independence and peace with dignity among peoples.
JOIN US IN SOLIDARITY!
Despite the economic war and media assault by the U.S. aimed at suffocating the Cuban people into submission, join us in celebrating the unifying principles that have made Cuba a beacon of international solidarity, from South Africa to Palestine!
Obituary: Professor Keith Ellis (April 5, 1935 – December 28, 2024)
January 13, 2025
Keith Audley Alexander Ellis, FRSC, DFil (University of Havana). CD (Jamaica), Professor Emeritus University of Toronto (Spanish and Portuguese), passed away peacefully on December 28, 2024, at the age of 89, after a life devoted to his family, learning, teaching and social justice through culture, especially literary culture.
Keith was born on April 5, 1935, in St. Mary, Jamaica, to Cora Joyce (Lazarus) and Charles Henry Alexander Ellis. He is the elder brother of his beloved surviving sisters: Claudette (Herman White), Jean (Keith Dixon), Marion (Dennis Taylor), Cherry (Orett Hart) and Christine (Ray Applewhaite). He is the deeply missed husband of Zilpha, the loving father of Carmen Marie (Robert Willetts) and the proud grandfather of Owen and Maxwell.
A scholarship student at Calabar High School, Keith taught Spanish and History there for 2 years following graduation. He earned his B.A. from the University of Toronto in just 2 years. While completing his graduate studies 4 years later at the University of Washington (Seattle) in Romance Literatures and Languages, he published on his key literary interests—the art of poetry and of prose narrative and humanitarian justice: an article on 3 poems by the Venezuelan writer Rafael Pineda, a key article on the Brazilian novel Dom Casmurro, and various articles leading to his Ph.D thesis on the work of an exiled antifascist Spanish writer in the book, El arte novelístico de Francisco de Ayala.
After a year lecturing at the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo, Keith was hired back to the University of Toronto by his mentor Prof. Kurt Levy. His love of poetry and his recognition of the poetic genius of the Cuban national poet, Nicolàs Guillén, inspired the largest part of his intellectual work over his long life of research and teaching for undergraduate and graduate courses and many books, articles and talks. His last book appeared in December 2023; and he gave a talk on the first Spanish poem he studied at the age of 11, to fellow patients in his long-term care home in 2024. His analysis of most of the outstanding Spanish American and Caribbean poets and leaders informed his understanding of the contribution of artistic culture to social progress (for example, his publications on Dr. Francia, José María Heredia, Rubén Dario, Vicente Huidobro, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Pablo Neruda, Jacques Roumain and Roberto Fernández Retamar). He actively promoted exhibitions of Cuban art, music and dance; and was led by his sense of social justice to his own practice of poetry.
Keith was also a gifted translator, both from Spanish to English and vice versa. He translated the major poetic work (Versos libres) of José Martí, revolutionary Cuba’s apostle, a complex work which had not yet been translated in its entirety for more than one hundred and twenty years. He translated several anthologies of Nicolás Guillén’s poems and taught and researched the subject of translation. He accepted Caribbean Nobel prizewinner Derek Walcott’s invitation to translate his outstanding play, The Joker of Seville into Spanish; and he introduced Canadian writing to Cubans in Spanish translation. He published at the invitation of both Venezuela and Cuba bilingual anthologies of English-Caribbean poetry. Keith was determined to end the colonial divisions of American culture; and he was convinced that sharing the cultural artifacts of these different languages would facilitate this goal.
Keith Ellis received many honours for his achievements in scholarship, teaching, cultural and social justice work. His life work is an inspiration to those who knew him and understood the motive for his outstanding contribution. He would feel honoured by donations to help sustain his beloved internationalist Revolutionary Cuba, through the provisions proposed by either (for Canadians):
The Canadian Network on Cuba (http://www.canadiannetworkoncuba.ca)
and/or Toronto Forum on Cuba (https://www.forumoncuba.com),
and (for USA citizens) Global Health Partners (https://www.ghpartners.org/cuba2024/).
A memorial service and celebration of Keith’s life will be held in a few months.
PLEASE DONATE: Send your e-transfer to [email protected] (autodeposit) Please, contact us if you would like to make a donation by another method.
To book public meeting spaces; to print informational/educational flyers to distribute and put up in public places costs money! Our pockets as activists ARE NOT DEEP so please help us to sustain our work in getting the truth out about the Cuban Revolution, its achievements and challenges; in particular the genocidal economic, financial and trade blockade of Cuba by the U.S. government!
We wish to recognize Sabrina Johnson for her selfless dedication to the work of building solidarity with Cuba and maintaining the original versions of this website that was the most updated of all solidarity groups with Cuba. Sabrina has moved on. Sabrina Gracias! Wish you the best in your life endeavors!
To book public meeting spaces; to print informational/educational flyers to distribute and put up in public places costs money! Our pockets as activists ARE NOT DEEP so please help us to sustain our work in getting the truth out about the Cuban Revolution, its achievements and challenges; in particular the genocidal economic, financial and trade blockade of Cuba by the U.S. government!
We wish to recognize Sabrina Johnson for her selfless dedication to the work of building solidarity with Cuba and maintaining the original versions of this website that was the most updated of all solidarity groups with Cuba. Sabrina has moved on. Sabrina Gracias! Wish you the best in your life endeavors!