• TABLE OF CONTENT
    • the dreaming machine – issue number 12
    • The dreaming machine – issue number 11
    • The dreaming machine – issue number 10
    • The dreaming machine – issue number 9
    • The dreaming machine – issue number 8
    • The dreaming machine – issue number 7
    • The dreaming machine – issue number 6
    • The dreaming machine – issue number 5
    • The dreaming machine – issue number 4
    • The dreaming machine – issue number 3
    • The dreaming machine – issue number 2
    • The dreaming machine – issue number 1
  • THE DREAMING MACHINE
    • The dreaming machine n 12
    • The dreaming machine n 11
    • The dreaming machine n 10
    • The dreaming machine n 9
    • The dreaming machine n 8
    • The dreaming machine n 7
    • The dreaming machine n 6
    • The dreaming machine n 5
    • The dreaming machine n 4
    • The dreaming machine n 3
    • The dreaming machine n 2
    • The dreaming machine n 1
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  • Poetry
    Remembering Carla Macoggi: Excerpts from “Kkeywa- Storia di una bambina meticcia” and “Nemesi della rossa”

    The delicate hour of the birds among the branches – Poems by Melih Cevdet Anday (trans. Neil P. Doherty)

    Afro Women Poetry- SUDAN: Reem Yasir, Rajaa Bushara, Fatma Latif

    Afro Women Poetry- SUDAN: Reem Yasir, Rajaa Bushara, Fatma Latif

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    A flock of cardinals melted in the scarlet sky: Poems by Daryna Gladun

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    The wolf hour and other poems by Ella Yevtushenko

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Testing the worth of poetic bombshells – Four poems by Abdul Karim Al-Ahmad

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

  • Fiction
    Chapter ten, from”Come What May” by Ahmed Masoud

    Chapter ten, from”Come What May” by Ahmed Masoud

    Remembering Carla Macoggi: Excerpts from “Kkeywa- Storia di una bambina meticcia” and “Nemesi della rossa”

    Remembering Carla Macoggi: Excerpts from “Kkeywa- Storia di una bambina meticcia” and “Nemesi della rossa”

    In memoriam – Swimming in the Tigris, Greenford: The Poetical Journey of Fawzi Karim, by Marius Kociejowski

    The Naked Shell of Aloneness – Kazi Rafi

    Pioneer’s Portrait: How Voltaire Contributed to Comparative Literature, by Razu Alauddin    

    The Shadow of a Shadow – Nandini Sahu

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Football is Life – Mojaffor Hossein

    Datura – Paulami Sengupta

    Datura – Paulami Sengupta

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Origin – 1. The House, at night, by Predrag Finci

    HOT MANGO CHUTNEY SAUCE – Farah Ahamed (from Period Matters)

    HOT MANGO CHUTNEY SAUCE – Farah Ahamed (from Period Matters)

    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    BOW / BHUK – Parimal Bhattacharya

  • Non Fiction
    My Lover, My Body – Gonca Özmen, trans. by Neil P. Doherty

    My Lover, My Body – Gonca Özmen, trans. by Neil P. Doherty

    Pioneer’s Portrait: How Voltaire Contributed to Comparative Literature, by Razu Alauddin    

    Pioneer’s Portrait: How Voltaire Contributed to Comparative Literature, by Razu Alauddin    

    A tribute to Carla Macoggi – An invitation to reading her novels, by Jessy Simonini

    A tribute to Carla Macoggi – An invitation to reading her novels, by Jessy Simonini

    In memoriam – Swimming in the Tigris, Greenford: The Poetical Journey of Fawzi Karim, by Marius Kociejowski

    In memoriam – Swimming in the Tigris, Greenford: The Poetical Journey of Fawzi Karim, by Marius Kociejowski

    What Gets Read: How the Beats Caught on in Italy – Clark Bouwman

    What Gets Read: How the Beats Caught on in Italy – Clark Bouwman

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Of romantic love and its perils: The lyrics of the enigmatic Barbara Strozzi – Luciana Messina

  • Interviews & reviews
    Pioneer’s Portrait: How Voltaire Contributed to Comparative Literature, by Razu Alauddin    

    Paradoxes of misfits and wanderers: Modhura Bandyopadhyay reviews Stalks of Lotus

    Beauty and Defiance: Ukrainian contemporary paintings in Padua- Show organizer Liudmila Vladova Olenovych in conversation with Camilla Boemio

    Beauty and Defiance: Ukrainian contemporary paintings in Padua- Show organizer Liudmila Vladova Olenovych in conversation with Camilla Boemio

    Remembering Carla Macoggi: Excerpts from “Kkeywa- Storia di una bambina meticcia” and “Nemesi della rossa”

    A preview of Greek poet Tsabika Hatzinikola’s second collection “Without Presence, Dreams Do Not Emerge”, by Georg Schaaf

    Ascension: A conversation with Matthew Smith

    Ascension: A conversation with Matthew Smith

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Of Concentric Storytelling, Footballs and the Shifting World

    Lexically Sugared Circuits of R/elation: A Conversation with Adeena Karasick

    Lexically Sugared Circuits of R/elation: A Conversation with Adeena Karasick

  • Out of bounds
    • All
    • Fiction
    • Intersections
    • Interviews and reviews
    • Non fiction
    • Poetry
    Camilla Boemio interviews Malaysian artist Kim Ng

    Poetic bridges and conversations: Icelandic, Kiswahili and English through three poems by Hlín Leifsdóttir

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Human Bestiary Series – Five Poems by Pina Piccolo

    Bear encounters in Italy:  Jj4, anthropomorphized nature and the dialectics of generations – Post by Maurizio Vitale (a.k.a. Jack Daniel)

    Bear encounters in Italy: Jj4, anthropomorphized nature and the dialectics of generations – Post by Maurizio Vitale (a.k.a. Jack Daniel)

    Chapter four from “La cena- Avanzi dell’ex Jugoslavia”, by Božidar Stanišić

    Chapter four from “La cena- Avanzi dell’ex Jugoslavia”, by Božidar Stanišić

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    A song of peace and other poems by Julio Monteiro Martins

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    I am the storm rattling iron door handles (Part I)- Poems by Michael D. Amitin

    Datura – Paulami Sengupta

    Datura – Paulami Sengupta

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Spirited away by the northern winds (Part I) – Poems by Marcello Tagliente

    Pioneer’s Portrait: How Voltaire Contributed to Comparative Literature, by Razu Alauddin    

    Like a geological specimen in a darkened room: Two poems by Neil Davidson

  • News
    HAIR IN THE WIND – Calling on poets to join international project in solidarity with the women of Iran

    HAIR IN THE WIND – Calling on poets to join international project in solidarity with the women of Iran

    THE DREAMING MACHINE ISSUE N. 11 WILL BE OUT ON DEC. 10

    THE DREAMING MACHINE ISSUE N. 11 WILL BE OUT ON DEC. 10

    RUCKSACK – GLOBAL POETRY PATCHWORK PROJECT

    RUCKSACK – GLOBAL POETRY PATCHWORK PROJECT

    REFUGEE TALES July 3-5:  Register for a Walk In Solidarity with Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Detainees

    REFUGEE TALES July 3-5: Register for a Walk In Solidarity with Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Detainees

    IL BIANCO E IL NERO – LE PAROLE PER DIRLO, Conference Milan Sept. 7

    IL BIANCO E IL NERO – LE PAROLE PER DIRLO, Conference Milan Sept. 7

    OPEN POEM TO THE CURATORS OF THE 58th VENICE BIENNALE  FROM THE GHOSTS OF THAT RELIC YOU SHOULD NOT DARE CALL “OUR BOAT” (Pina Piccolo)

    OPEN POEM TO THE CURATORS OF THE 58th VENICE BIENNALE FROM THE GHOSTS OF THAT RELIC YOU SHOULD NOT DARE CALL “OUR BOAT” (Pina Piccolo)

  • Home
  • Poetry
    Remembering Carla Macoggi: Excerpts from “Kkeywa- Storia di una bambina meticcia” and “Nemesi della rossa”

    The delicate hour of the birds among the branches – Poems by Melih Cevdet Anday (trans. Neil P. Doherty)

    Afro Women Poetry- SUDAN: Reem Yasir, Rajaa Bushara, Fatma Latif

    Afro Women Poetry- SUDAN: Reem Yasir, Rajaa Bushara, Fatma Latif

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    A flock of cardinals melted in the scarlet sky: Poems by Daryna Gladun

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    The wolf hour and other poems by Ella Yevtushenko

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Testing the worth of poetic bombshells – Four poems by Abdul Karim Al-Ahmad

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

  • Fiction
    Chapter ten, from”Come What May” by Ahmed Masoud

    Chapter ten, from”Come What May” by Ahmed Masoud

    Remembering Carla Macoggi: Excerpts from “Kkeywa- Storia di una bambina meticcia” and “Nemesi della rossa”

    Remembering Carla Macoggi: Excerpts from “Kkeywa- Storia di una bambina meticcia” and “Nemesi della rossa”

    In memoriam – Swimming in the Tigris, Greenford: The Poetical Journey of Fawzi Karim, by Marius Kociejowski

    The Naked Shell of Aloneness – Kazi Rafi

    Pioneer’s Portrait: How Voltaire Contributed to Comparative Literature, by Razu Alauddin    

    The Shadow of a Shadow – Nandini Sahu

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Football is Life – Mojaffor Hossein

    Datura – Paulami Sengupta

    Datura – Paulami Sengupta

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Origin – 1. The House, at night, by Predrag Finci

    HOT MANGO CHUTNEY SAUCE – Farah Ahamed (from Period Matters)

    HOT MANGO CHUTNEY SAUCE – Farah Ahamed (from Period Matters)

    Take Note of the Sun Shining Within Twilight – Four Poems by Natalia Beltchenko

    BOW / BHUK – Parimal Bhattacharya

  • Non Fiction
    My Lover, My Body – Gonca Özmen, trans. by Neil P. Doherty

    My Lover, My Body – Gonca Özmen, trans. by Neil P. Doherty

    Pioneer’s Portrait: How Voltaire Contributed to Comparative Literature, by Razu Alauddin    

    Pioneer’s Portrait: How Voltaire Contributed to Comparative Literature, by Razu Alauddin    

    A tribute to Carla Macoggi – An invitation to reading her novels, by Jessy Simonini

    A tribute to Carla Macoggi – An invitation to reading her novels, by Jessy Simonini

    In memoriam – Swimming in the Tigris, Greenford: The Poetical Journey of Fawzi Karim, by Marius Kociejowski

    In memoriam – Swimming in the Tigris, Greenford: The Poetical Journey of Fawzi Karim, by Marius Kociejowski

    What Gets Read: How the Beats Caught on in Italy – Clark Bouwman

    What Gets Read: How the Beats Caught on in Italy – Clark Bouwman

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Of romantic love and its perils: The lyrics of the enigmatic Barbara Strozzi – Luciana Messina

  • Interviews & reviews
    Pioneer’s Portrait: How Voltaire Contributed to Comparative Literature, by Razu Alauddin    

    Paradoxes of misfits and wanderers: Modhura Bandyopadhyay reviews Stalks of Lotus

    Beauty and Defiance: Ukrainian contemporary paintings in Padua- Show organizer Liudmila Vladova Olenovych in conversation with Camilla Boemio

    Beauty and Defiance: Ukrainian contemporary paintings in Padua- Show organizer Liudmila Vladova Olenovych in conversation with Camilla Boemio

    Remembering Carla Macoggi: Excerpts from “Kkeywa- Storia di una bambina meticcia” and “Nemesi della rossa”

    A preview of Greek poet Tsabika Hatzinikola’s second collection “Without Presence, Dreams Do Not Emerge”, by Georg Schaaf

    Ascension: A conversation with Matthew Smith

    Ascension: A conversation with Matthew Smith

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Of Concentric Storytelling, Footballs and the Shifting World

    Lexically Sugared Circuits of R/elation: A Conversation with Adeena Karasick

    Lexically Sugared Circuits of R/elation: A Conversation with Adeena Karasick

  • Out of bounds
    • All
    • Fiction
    • Intersections
    • Interviews and reviews
    • Non fiction
    • Poetry
    Camilla Boemio interviews Malaysian artist Kim Ng

    Poetic bridges and conversations: Icelandic, Kiswahili and English through three poems by Hlín Leifsdóttir

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Human Bestiary Series – Five Poems by Pina Piccolo

    Bear encounters in Italy:  Jj4, anthropomorphized nature and the dialectics of generations – Post by Maurizio Vitale (a.k.a. Jack Daniel)

    Bear encounters in Italy: Jj4, anthropomorphized nature and the dialectics of generations – Post by Maurizio Vitale (a.k.a. Jack Daniel)

    Chapter four from “La cena- Avanzi dell’ex Jugoslavia”, by Božidar Stanišić

    Chapter four from “La cena- Avanzi dell’ex Jugoslavia”, by Božidar Stanišić

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    A song of peace and other poems by Julio Monteiro Martins

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    I am the storm rattling iron door handles (Part I)- Poems by Michael D. Amitin

    Datura – Paulami Sengupta

    Datura – Paulami Sengupta

    Overturning planes in the labyrinth – Four poems by Rita Degli Esposti

    Spirited away by the northern winds (Part I) – Poems by Marcello Tagliente

    Pioneer’s Portrait: How Voltaire Contributed to Comparative Literature, by Razu Alauddin    

    Like a geological specimen in a darkened room: Two poems by Neil Davidson

  • News
    HAIR IN THE WIND – Calling on poets to join international project in solidarity with the women of Iran

    HAIR IN THE WIND – Calling on poets to join international project in solidarity with the women of Iran

    THE DREAMING MACHINE ISSUE N. 11 WILL BE OUT ON DEC. 10

    THE DREAMING MACHINE ISSUE N. 11 WILL BE OUT ON DEC. 10

    RUCKSACK – GLOBAL POETRY PATCHWORK PROJECT

    RUCKSACK – GLOBAL POETRY PATCHWORK PROJECT

    REFUGEE TALES July 3-5:  Register for a Walk In Solidarity with Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Detainees

    REFUGEE TALES July 3-5: Register for a Walk In Solidarity with Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Detainees

    IL BIANCO E IL NERO – LE PAROLE PER DIRLO, Conference Milan Sept. 7

    IL BIANCO E IL NERO – LE PAROLE PER DIRLO, Conference Milan Sept. 7

    OPEN POEM TO THE CURATORS OF THE 58th VENICE BIENNALE  FROM THE GHOSTS OF THAT RELIC YOU SHOULD NOT DARE CALL “OUR BOAT” (Pina Piccolo)

    OPEN POEM TO THE CURATORS OF THE 58th VENICE BIENNALE FROM THE GHOSTS OF THAT RELIC YOU SHOULD NOT DARE CALL “OUR BOAT” (Pina Piccolo)

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Home Interviews and reviews

OPEN LETTER BY A GROUP OF BLACK ITALIAN WOMEN

protesting racist/colonial representation of Black Italian girl in photo of Milan mayor for the Style insert of Il Corriere della Sera

May 1, 2019
in Interviews and reviews, News, The dreaming machine n 4
OPEN LETTER BY A GROUP OF BLACK ITALIAN WOMEN
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OPEN LETTER BY A GROUP OF BLACK ITALIAN WOMEN

 

To the kind attention of Mayor Giuseppe Sala and the editorial team of Style,insert of the Corriere della Sera daily

 

Dear Madams and Sirs:

 

Let us introduce ourselves: we are Black Italian Women, citizens of a country in which many of us were born and raised, a country which we would always like to feel an integral part of, not an integrated part, as unfortunately still happens very often today.  We would always like to be the subject of our representation, media narration and political agenda rather than a mere object that can be exploited as needed.  For these reasons, we felt it is necessary and our duty  to write to you, Mr. Mayor Sala and the editorial team of Style (Corriere della Sera) in reference to the photograph published on April 24, 2019  which indeed shows  you, Mr. Mayor, sitting down, in the company of a white boy placed behind you and a Black Girl, placed at your feet. Starting from our perspective as Italian Women who are Black, but also from that of the many women and men  who are involved  in the life, upbringing and education of Black girls and boys, we are writing to convey to you in a sincere,  heartfelt way our critique of that image. We are women who at one time were that Girl and are today the mothers of similar girls, so we would like to offer not only our analysis but also concrete proposals aimed at activating a true inclusive and multicultural dialogue, avoiding offensive and deleterious portrayals of certain categories of people.

 

The image that was published shows you, a powerful white man, Mr. Mayor Sala, sitting on a chair.  Behind you is a white boy, standing up, while at your feet, sitting on the ground tenderly hugging your ankle, is a Black Girl, represented like a docile puppy.  While that image may reflect the message of “Milan, open city”  for a certain sector of Milan and Italy, We, Black Children, Girls and Women pick up on a very different symbolism, one that refers to visual and cultural codes belonging to a colonial and patriarchal tradition which, historically,  has placed the Black Female subject  at the lowest rung of the social hierarchy.

 

Looking at this photograph, we, those who are directly impacted, Italian Black, Afro-Descendent women could not misunderstand the message: the position of the Black Girl at the feet of a white man is not a neutral image.  It has a strong historical connotation, a meaning and a history, which is unfortunately unknown to the photographer MrPaolo di Paolo, Style’s editorial team and to you, Mr. Mayor.  Since the times of slavery in the Americas all the way up to the more recent Italian colonialism in, Black women have not been considered women but rather “females”, suitable for sexual relations but lacking that feminine essence which is exclusively attributed to white women.

 

In relation to this, one should be reminded that in many cases, acts of sexual violence committed by Italian men against girls (and boys) in the Horn of Africa even when reported and brought to court, often were not  punished because the body of a Black girl or woman did not have the same value as that of a white woman and, therefore, was not worthy of the same consideration or respect. This attitude was angelically confirmed by the much-acclaimed Italian journalist and historian Indro Montanelli, who in response to accusations of paedophilia, raised by the sexual nature of the relation he had for a whilewith a 12-year-old Abyssinian girl, said “Excuse me, but in Africa it’s different”.

 

The photograph also bears the following heading: “Milan a city that is open, tolerant but attentive to rules”. The people who don’t see what is wrong with this photo and heading and are missing why it is insulting, starting from the photographer himself, Mr. Paolo di Paolo, you Mr. Mayor and Style’s editorial team, do so because you are not on the receiving end of it.  Blindness to racist situations happens because, sometimes, certain details that are very clear to the eyes of the racialized subject, are missed by even those with the best intentions, because they lack “the appropriate viewing lenses” so to say, capable of seeing, or catching certain pieces of information.

 

Granted that race as a biological phenomenon does not exist, and it is, therefore, senseless to classify human beings on the basis of parameters that are not scientifically true, the daily, “racially” originated micro-aggressions suffered by racialized subjects do exist and are real.  These dynamics, based on a meaning that is historically attributed to certain physical characteristics, such as skin colour and some somatic traits, capable of defining a certain group of people, manifests itself in actions that are apparently neutral or even thought of as “positive”, such as the photograph we are analysing. Nevertheless, the presumed neutrality or “good intentions” of such gestures or words yield counterproductive results because they contribute to stressing the so-called “colour line”, i.e.,   that line between white and black, that can stigmatize, humiliate and exclude a certain section of the population from some fundamental rights, including the right of representation.

 

Finally, it is important for us to reiterate that the choice of an adjective such as “tolerant” corroborates that line of thinking and action  that claims that a certain group of people  who are entitled to the benefits of citizenship, find themselves in the position of having to bear the inconvenient presence  of people who are considered “different” and  voiceless in the social and political space. We believe that if the city of Milan’s objective is truly that of openness on various fronts, the terminology used should be accurate. In this direction, we propose the term “multicultural” to convey the message of a multi-ethnic Milan, that is enthusiastic about the richness deriving from multiple cultures that compose it, and encourages relations based on equality, reciprocal exchange of knowledge aimed at living together in harmony.

 

Conclusions and proposals

Because we truly believe in multiculturality and the need to be actively engaged in dialogue building and inclusion, we have thought of concrete proposals aimed at deconstructing the prejudices that undermine our living together. It is high time that the council of one of the most important cities of Italy, and the editorial board of one of the largest dailies in Italy, equip themselves with people who are competent on the issue of diversity and inclusion, that they  consult experts of gender, race and sexuality studies so that they are extremely careful  about the consequences of any given visual language. We are ready to contribute and available to meet any time you feel it is needed, hoping to prevent unpleasant situations such as this.

 

We can work together to build an image of the city, and the country, that is aligned with its increasingly multicultural demographics. Furthermore, we would like to be heard  when facing the subject of racism, because although it is true that people who are not directly victimized may feel  empathy, we believe that people who are directly impacted by racism, every day and in various ways, are the ones entitled and have the authority to express themselves about the physical and psychological suffering resulting from racism.  We believe this to be true for all the so called “minorities” and non-dominant categories based on gender, sexuality, health status, physical conditions and social class.  We believe that the foundations needed to formulate solutions for the betterment of society can be built based on listening.

 

It is important to understand (and will reiterate ad infinitum) that when a group of subjects sharing a specific identity is the object of what they believe is an offensive behaviour, there can be no voice outside that group authorized to deny that assessment.  Speaking for others, as well as refusing to listen, should not be considered legitimate if you are really seeking to be inclusive, if you are aiming for integration, if you want a Milan and an Italy that is multicultural. Otherwise you can just pretend to do so on the cover of a newspaper, by showing a little “blackie” girl (but not too much) crouching next to the ankle of a man who is staring straight into the lens and smiling, convinced that he has won a challenge which he hasn’t even understood yet.

 

Cordially

 

The writers :

Eden Embafrash, Black Woman
Alesa Herero, Black Woman
Kwanza Musi Dos Santos, Black Woman
Kiasi Sandrine Mputu, Black Woman
Leaticia Ouedraogo, Black Woman
Sara Tesfai, Black Woman
Susanna Owusu Twumwah, Black Woman
Angelica Pesarini, Black Woman
Loredane Tshilombo, Black Woman

Translated by Pina Piccolo, for The Dreaming Machine

 


 

 

LETTERA APERTA DI UN GRUPPO DI DONNE NERE ITALIANE 🇮🇹

Alla cortese attenzione del Sindaco Giuseppe Sala e del team editoriale per la rivista Corriere della sera – Style

Gentilissime e Gentilissimi,

Permetteteci di presentarci: siamo Donne Nere italiane, cittadine di un paese in cui molte di noi sono nate e cresciute, e del quale vorremmo poterci sentire sempre parte integrante, non integrata, come accade ancora molto spesso. Vorremmo essere sempre soggetto della nostra rappresentazione, narrazione mediatica e agenda politica e non un mero oggetto o un’immagine strumentalizzata all’occorrenza. Per tali ragioni, ci è sembrato necessario, e doveroso, scrivere a Lei, Sindaco Sala e al team editoriale di Style (Corriere della Sera) in riferimento alla foto pubblicata il 24 aprile scorso che ritrae proprio Lei, Sindaco, seduto, in compagnia di un bambino, bianco, posizionato alle Sue spalle ed una Bambina, Nera, collocata ai Suoi piedi. Partendo da quella che è la prospettiva di noi Donne Italiane e Nere, ma anche di tutte e tutti coloro che sono coinvolte/i nella vita, la crescita e l’educazione di bambine/i nere/i, scriviamo per esporvi in maniera sincera e sentita la nostra criticità in merito all’immagine, per fornirvi un’analisi di chi, a suo tempo, è stata quella Bambina ed è oggi madre di una bambina simile, ed infine, per avanzare delle proposte volte ad attivare un reale dialogo inclusivo e multiculturale, evitando di ritrarre determinate categorie in modo offensivo e deleterio.

L’immagine pubblicata raffigura un uomo bianco e potente, Lei Sindaco Sala, seduto su una sedia. Alle Sue spalle si vede un bambino bianco, in posizione eretta, mentre ai Suoi piedi, seduta a terra che Le abbraccia teneramente la caviglia, si vede una Bambina Nera, rappresentata quasi fosse un docile cagnolino. Se per una determinata fascia di Milano e dell’Italia, l’immagine rispecchia il messaggio di una “Milano aperta”, Noi, Bambine, Ragazze, Donne Nere abbiamo colto un simbolismo molto diverso, che fa riferimento a codici visivi e culturali propri di una tradizione coloniale e patriarcale che, storicamente, ha collocato il soggetto Femminile Nero ai gradini più bassi della scala gerarchica sociale. Guardando questa foto, noi, le dirette interessate, Donne Nere, Afrodiscendenti e Italiane, non abbiamo potuto fraintendere: questo posizionamento della Bambina Nera ai piedi di un uomo bianco non è un’immagine neutra, ha un significato storico fortemente connotato, un significato ed una storia, purtroppo, non conosciuta da Paolo di Paolo, il team editoriale di Style e da Lei Sindaco. Fin dai tempi della schiavitù nelle Americhe, per arrivare al più recente colonialismo italiano, le donne nere non sono state considerate donne bensì “femmine”, adatte a relazioni sessuali ma sprovviste dell’essenza femminile attribuita esclusivamente alle donne bianche. A tal proposito, per esempio, è bene ricordare che molti casi di violenze sessuali commessi da uomini italiani ai danni di bambine (e bambini) in Africa Orientale, anche se denunciati e portati in tribunali, spesso tali crimini non venivano puniti poiché il corpo di una donna, o bambina nera, non aveva lo stesso valore del corpo di una donna bianca e, dunque, non meritava la stessa considerazione né rispetto. Questo è stato confermato, seraficamente, anche dal celeberrimo giornalista e storico Indro Montanelli, che per rispondere ad accuse di pedofilia, data la natura sessuale della relazione intrattenuta per diverso tempo con una bambina abissina di dodici anni, disse, a tal riguardo: “Scusate ma in Africa è differente”.

La foto in questione, inoltre, si accompagna al seguente messaggio: “Milano città aperta, tollerante ma attenta alle regole”. Coloro che non vedono il torto in questa foto e nella didascalia, partendo dall’ autore stesso dello scatto, il fotografo Paolo di Paolo, Lei, Sindaco, e il team editoriale di Style hanno effettivamente ragione di non vederlo, perché non sono i soggetti in questione. Essere ciechi di fronte a situazioni razziste capita poiché, talvolta, certi dettagli molto chiari agli occhi dei soggetti razzializzati, sfuggono a chi, anche tra i più volenterosi è sprovvisto di “lenti adeguate”, per così dire, in grado di vedere, o cogliere, certe informazioni. Anche se la razza in sé, come fenomeno biologico non esiste, ed è dunque insensato classificare gli esseri umani in base ad un’idea scientificamente non veritiera, le micro aggressioni quotidiane di matrice “razziale” subite dai soggetti razzializzati, esistono e sono reali. Tali dinamiche, che si basano su un significato storicamente attribuito a certi tratti fisici, come il colore della pelle ed alcuni tratti somatici, in grado di definire un certo gruppo di persone, si manifesta in gesti apparentemente neutri, o addirittura pensati come positivi, come la foto in questione. Tuttavia, la presunta neutralità o “buona intenzione” di tali gesti o parole producono risultati controproducenti, in quanto contribuiscono a ricalcare la cosiddetta “linea del colore”, quella linea tra bianco e nero, in grado di stigmatizzare, umiliare, ed escludere una certa parte della popolazione da alcuni diritti fondamentali, tra cui il diritto alla rappresentazione. In ultima battuta, ci preme ribadire che la scelta dell’aggettivo “tollerante” corrobora la linea di pensiero e d’azione secondo la quale un determinato gruppo di persone, aventi diritto ai benefici della cittadinanza, si trova a dover sopportare una presenza scomoda di persone considerate “diverse” e prive di voce nello spazio sociale e politico. Riteniamo che se l’obiettivo di Milano sia davvero quello di proporre un’apertura su vari fronti, la scelta del vocabolario di riferimento dovrebbe essere accurata. In tal senso proponiamo “multiculturale” per veicolare il messaggio di una Milano multietnica ed entusiasta della ricchezza derivante dalle molteplici culture che la compongono, e per incoraggiare un rapporto paritario di scambio reciproco di conoscenze teso alla convivenza armonica.

Conclusione e proposte:
Poiché crediamo realmente nella multicuralità e crediamo di doverci implicare attivamente nella costruzione del dialogo e dell’inclusione, abbiamo pensato delle proposte concrete volte a decostruire i pregiudizi che ledono al nostro vivere in comune. È opportuno che il gabinetto di una delle città più importanti d’Italia, e la redazione di una delle testate più diffuse del paese, si dotino di persone competenti in materia di diversity & inclusion, chiedano consulenza ad esperte/i di studi di genere, razza e sessualità, e che nel veicolare le immagini pongano estrema attenzione alle conseguenze di un determinato linguaggio visivo. Noi siamo pronte ad offrire il nostro contributo e la disponibilità ad incontrarci ogni qualvolta lo si ritenga necessario, sperando di prevenire situazioni spiacevoli, come questa, e lavorare insieme per costruire un’immagine della città e del paese in linea con l’assetto sempre più demograficamente multiculturale. Inoltre vorremmo essere ascoltate quando si affronta il tema del razzismo, in quanto, benché chi non è vittimizzato possa provare empatia, riteniamo che l’autorità e l’autorevolezza di esprimersi sulla sofferenza fisica e psicologica spetti a coloro che il razzismo lo vivono in prima persona, tutti i giorni, e in vari modi. Riteniamo che questo discorso valga per tutte le cosiddette “minoranze” e categorie non dominanti che rispondono al genere, alla sessualità, allo stato di salute, alle condizioni fisiche o alla classe sociale. Siamo convinte che dall’ascolto si possano costruire le basi per formulare soluzioni finalizzate al miglioramento della società. È importante capire (e ripetere all’infinito) che quando un gruppo di soggetti che condividono una specifica identità è coinvolta in quella che ritiene essere un’offesa, non esiste voce esterna che possa negare tale sentire. Non si può parlare per altri e non ci si può rifiutare di ascoltare, non se si vuole essere realmente inclusivi, se si punta all’integrazione, se si vuole una Milano, e un’Italia, multiculturali. Altrimenti si può fingere, mostrando sulla copertina di un giornale una piccola ne*retta (ma non troppo) accucciata alla caviglia di un uomo il quale, guardando dritto l’obiettivo sorride, pensando di aver vinto una sfida che non ha nemmeno ancora compreso.

Un cordiale saluto,

Le autrici:

Eden Embafrash, Donna Nera
Alesa Herero, Donna Nera
Kwanza Musi Dos Santos, Donna Nera
Kiasi Sandrine Mputu, Donna Nera
Leaticia Ouedraogo, Donna Nera
Susanna Owusu Twumwah, Donna Nera
Angelica Pesarini, Donna Nera
Loredane Tshilombo, Donna Nera

 

 

 

Tags: Alesa HereroAngelica PesariniBeppe SalaBlack Italian Womendenialdiscrimination of girlsdisenfranchisementEden EmbafrashEurocentrismhierarchyinclusionItalian colonialismItalyKiasi Sandrine MputuKwanza Musi Dos SantosLeaticia OuedraogoMilan MayorOpen letterracismrepresentationSusanna Owusu Twumwahwhite privilegewhite supremacy
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