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Caridad Sola is a Cuban-American visual artist who studied at the University of Miami, Columbia University, New York University, and Parsons School of Design. Her work has been exhibited in a variety of places including the Art Basel Miami Closing Party at Fountain, the Lowe Art Museum, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Center, The Arts + Literature Laboratory Gallery in New Haven, CT, the Grace Exhibition Space within the Fountain Art Fair at the Armory in NY, and was awarded the “Best of Show” designation in “Made in NY 2006” at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center.

The Solidaridad de Trabajadores Cubanos (STC) is a Cuban-exile organization which represents and protects the rights of Cuban workers. It has coordinated efforts with other organizations such as the Movimiento de los Trabajadores, Confederación de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC), guilds, and associations. The STC is not affiliated or dependent on any political entity.

The STC supports Cuban workers who do not favor the Marxist-Leninist system imposed and directed by the communist state. The STC is also the voice of the workers who are not in favor with the officially-endorsed CTC, which implement the objectives determined by the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party.

The STC originated from the working youth who were part of a new generation of syndicate and guild leaders who fought against the dictatorship of Batista for the establishment of a constitutional and democratic government. One of the STC’s predecessor was Frente Humanista which was formed by leaders who rose from the revolutionary struggle of the Cuban working class. Their revolutionary ideals conflicted with those of the Cuban Communist Party. As a result of this confrontation hundreds of revolutionaries who opposed Castro’s regime were imprisoned. More than one million Cuban workers were assassinated against firing walls, in the streets, in the mountains and in exile.

The stated principles of the STC are the following: for the liberty and the real democracy, that is form of government, political system and social living; against all types of dictatorships and of repression: for the social justice and the popular participation; against the exploitation, marginalization and the misery: for the independence and national sovereignty; and against all types of domination and external dependence.

The STC identifies itself as an organization outside Cuba with an assembly of Cuban workers who accept its principles and objectives and are dedicated to realizing them. The STC struggles for the integration of Cuba’s economy, society, culture, and politics. The STC has its headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela, but is supported by Cuban exiles throughout the world.

Dr. Frederick Solomon was a progressive rabbi active in Havana’s Cuban-Jewish community during the 1950s and 60s. Although his origins are unclear, Dr. Solomon appears to have escaped Nazi -occupied Europe for London and eventually established a congregation in Havana, Cuba. As a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Dr. Solomon served as the rabbi of Temple Beth Israel in the Vedado suburb of Havana, where he wrote sermons and hosted religious services for his congregation, a part of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. The rabbi was also active in the Jewish Progressive movement, frequently communicating with representatives of The World Union for Progressive Judaism throughout the 1950s in an attempt to officially associate his congregation with the organization.

Kathryn “Katy” Sorenson (b. 1955) is a former Miami-Dade County Commissioner and consultant on matters pertaining to civil rights, such as women’s and LGBTQ rights. She was the founder, president, and CEO of the Good Government Initiative at the University of Miami – an organization that ran from 2010-2016 - which had the aim of cultivating leaders of excellence in South Florida and simultaneously involving the community in its governance. Sorenson sits on the board of numerous civic committees and boards, such as the Citizens Advisory Committee for Miami-Dade County’s General Obligation Bond program, the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work at Florida International University, the Leroy Collins Institute, ReServe Miami, and more. For her all of her service, she has been the recipient of many honors including winning the first ever Marjory Stoneman Douglas Environmental Award from the Friends of the Everglades, the Miami Dade Cultural Alliance’s “Elected Official of the Year” award, the “Public Official of the Year” from the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association, the Champion for Children Award, the Women of Impact Award, and the Herbert Hoover award as Conservationist of the Year.

Born in Chicago and raised in Milwaukee, Sorenson’s inclination toward civic activism and social justice began at a young age; in 1965 she attended a civil rights demonstration with some family members and this experience profoundly impacted the course of her career. At college, she decided to pursue a major in Social Work and received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; she then obtained her Master’s Degree – also in Social Work – from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Sorenson then went on to hold a number of positions; she was a legislative aide to Illinois State Senator Dawn Clark Netsch; a political consultant; and was the executive director of California Women Lawyers bar association. In 1994, she was first elected to represent District 8 – a large, diverse district of over 170,000 residents – on the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. Known locally for her human rights advocacy and belief in equality, during her tenure as Commissioner she achieved a number of well-remembered feats such as blocking a plan to construct an airport at Homestead Air Reserve Base, which sits between the important environmental heritage sites of the Everglades and Biscayne National Parks. She also helped to pass an amendment to the Human Rights Ordinance which guaranteed civil rights to gay and lesbian citizens. From 2002-2004, she held the position of vice chair of the Commission, meanwhile chairing the South Florida Regional Transportation Organization, and sitting on the executive committee of the South Florida Regional Planning Council.

2004 marked a turning point in Sorenson’s life when she was selected to attend Harvard University’s Senior Executive Program in State and Local Government at the Kennedy School of Government; this rigorous program inspired her to create a similar initiative aimed at individuals in South Florida. Having once dreamed of making it to the U.S. Senate herself, she decided to found the GGI in 2010 to propel the dreams of other elected officials and also those with aspirations to run for office; the initiative was supported by former University of Miami President Donna Shalala, UM Vice Provost Bill Green, and Knight Foundation President Alberto Ibargüen. Running for six years and educating eighty-six officials in good leadership and policy making, the core GGI program, “Leaders of Excellence,” was highly successful. In the history of the course, over one hundred volunteer instructors from academia, public service, the media, and the corporate world gave their time share their experience, knowledge, and expertise with the program participants. Faced with the reality that they no longer had enough participants to fill a complete course, however, the GGI was suspended in 2016. As for her future plans and life after the GGI, Sorenson stated, “Dismayed by the erosion of women’s rights, I feel myself returning to my roots and I have started a feminist book club for young women leaders. I want to travel with my husband and family members. I long to spend more time reading, writing and organizing. I will continue with some of my volunteer responsibilities in the community, but I don’t plan to take on new ones. I want to spend less time raising money.” Sorenson currently resides in Pinecrest, FL, alongside her husband of over four decades with whom she has two children, as well as grandchildren.

-Laura Bass
UGrow fellow for the Department of Manuscripts and Archives Management, 2019-2020

Works Cited

Sorenson, Katy. “Katy Sorenson says farewell to the Good Government Initiative.” The Miami Herald, June 21, 2016, https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op- ed/article85128557.html

Maximo Soronodo was a Cuban exile who served as an international delegate of the Consejo Revolucionario Cubano, the Cuban government in exile. He served in Mexico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Peru, and Chile.