The White House announced Monday it will send retired NBA player Shaquille O’Neal and ballerina Misty Copeland to Cuba to lead athletic workshops for children later this year.
The sports-focused visit is one component of the Obama administration’s strategy to normalize relations between both countries after a 50-year hiatus.
O’Neal, a 2016 Hall of Fame nominee, will participate in the Cuban Ministry of Sports and U.S. Embassy’s first ever Sports Envoy Program in June. The world-renowned athlete will share his basketball skills with children and teenagers at the event.
In November, Copeland, the American Ballet Theatre’s first principal dancer of color, will visit Cuba to teach arts classes to “master” or highly skilled students. She will also head clinics for minority youth and use speaking engagements to address women’s involvement in sports and music, according to the Oval Office fact sheet.
The athletes’ appearances will fall under the White House’s educational exchange program. During initial remarks Obama made Monday during his visit to the island, the first presidential trip to Cuba since 1928, he cited a need for changes in other policies that have been affected by the trade embargo, including health and science cooperation and improving civil rights.
