In "The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks," author Randall Robinson questions the motivations behind America's favorable view of Cuba during certain historical periods. He challenges readers to reflect on whether the admiration was genuine or rooted in a preference for a situation where racial segregation and social inequality were rampant. He highlights a time when education was limited to the wealthy, the poor suffered from preventable diseases, and corruption was widespread under leaders like Batista.

Robinson invites us to consider the implications of America's past relationships with foreign nations, particularly Cuba. He prompts a reassessment of American values during times of inequity and the complex history involving leaders who prioritized their interests, suggesting that the admiration for Cuba was intertwined with the darker aspects of its governance and societal issues.