“La ora del examen”: minors, compulsory education, and emancipation in the Cuban patronato

This chapter delves into an understudied realm of the legal strategies employed by Afro-descendants in Cuba to navigate the transition from the patronato system to (formal) freedom, focusing on the intersection of compulsory education and emancipation. Situating itself within the broader historiography of Afro-descendant’s resistance practices in the Iberian world, the chapter argues that petitions for freedom based on the lack of education emerged as a pivotal tool for Black women in formulating effective strategies aimed at terminating the forced apprenticeship for their kin. Drawing on cases from the National Archive of Cuba, the chapter demonstrates how Black women strategically utilized lawsuits centered on educational deprivation to resist and gain custody of their children and loved ones. Through a detailed examination of legal proceedings before the Juntas de Patronato, the chapter highlights the radical character of these lawsuits and their significance in challenging entrenched racialized beliefs about labor, intelligence, and motherhood. By navigating the delicate balance between labor obligations and educational provision, Black mothers asserted their right to provide adequate care for their offspring, thereby reshaping notions of freedom and agency within the context of post-slavery Cuba.