Looking down Linea at 5 am, I stopped for a moment to watch trucks and buses dropping off workers for the Primero de Mayo (May Day) parade. As an American student at the Universidad de La Habana for the semester, it was my first time going and a day that I had been looking forward to for a while. I had expectations founded on news, pictures, and even fictional movie scenes about how a major celebration would run in a Communist state. And by 6 am on Monday, I was already surprised. Paseo, where the parade was staged, seeped with the pride of workers marching with their offices and industries. Although some were forced to come with their companies, others slept outside the night before so they could walk the mile with their co-workers. When people saw my camera, after asking me to take a group photo and they would tell me about their industry. Photo by Andrew Plotch The event’s communication did not feel as if it was driven by the state, but by the 100,000s of Cubans who went. Despite my expectations, the speeches were not a major portion of the Day. As a matter of fact, they...