Black History Month From My Afro-Italian Gaze
By: Natasha Aidoo
The willingness to talk about so many aspects underneath the celebration and exploration of black history during the month of February in the US and Canada, and of October in the UK is more overwhelming and confusing than I thought. By offering snapshots of what’s in my mind, I’ll try to disentangle my thoughts by focusing on the interaction between my diasporic position, the continent, and the Afro-American experience in a somewhat loosely structured way.
How do I experience this annual celebration? My Afrocentric perspective based in Italy allows me to see things in a different way. Nevertheless, it's part of my history and my existence. Let this sink in. There are multiple levels of connection and of separation. I’m from Ghana, a country in West Africa. The lives of my ancestors and the generations that came after have probably unfolded on the other side of the world in unknown ways. I’m Italian, my postcolonial and decolonial positionality requires me to address identities, obstacles, and self-determination in a contextual way.
In this distance lies longing. That is why when I found out that Black History Month Florence has been a reality for six years now, I was so glad and excited. It “was founded by Justin Randolph Thompson and Andre Halyard in 2016 as a cross venue initiative designed to highlight the cultures of African Diasporic communities in the city of Florence and throughout Italy more generally.” 1 It’s the embodiment of the ties that transcend geopolitical and geographical boundaries between African diasporic people. With a specific lens that analyzes the challenges and the work done on the italian territory. “The sixth edition of Black History Month Florence and the second edition of Black History Month Bologna is organized under the theme Ostinato. The theme is simultaneously an invitation and a critique. The invitation is to persist in the socio- cultural work that we all need in this moment. The critique concerns the obstinate resistance to the recognition of the struggle of the Afro-descendants regarding access to citizenship, workers' rights and social inclusion in the definition of Italianness.” 2
It’s about time and visibility. The attempt to better grasp the past while grounding my view to contemporary times. Who are the afro-italian writers, activists, artists, and individualities that are crafting and enriching dialogues, debates, and conversations about our society, cultures and systemic structures? Igiaba Scego is an italian-somalian writer. She collaborates with the italian newspapers «Internazionale» e «Il Manifesto»; she published titles as Oltre Babilonia (Donzelli, 2008), La mia casa è dove sono (Rizzoli, 2010), and Adua (Giunti, 2015). She edited the collection of stories by afro-italian female writers “Future: il domani narrato dalle voci di oggi” (effequ 2019), which translates to Future: Tomorrow Narrated from the Voices of Today. The writers are Leila El Houssi; Lucia Ghebreghiorges; Alesa Herero; Esperance H. Ripanti; Djarah Kan; Ndack Mbaye; Marie Moïse; Leaticia Ouedraogo; Angelica Pesarini; Addes Tesfamariam; Wii. The importance of their works and of such a collection lies in the ties and the narrations that are woven through time. Focusing on how the perception of the present is filtered through heterogeneous and enriching perspectives is an aspect of our literature and societies that can’t be undervalued. The access to the publishing space, the acknowledgment of the weight and of the power embedded in these written voices are central aspects for constructive dialogue and collective construction of community histories. It’s not just about addressing the complexity of our realities, but it’s about recognizing how intricate, diverse, and layered our stories are.
My interest goes beyond this annual celebration. I recognize the importance of the spotlight during this month. But the struggle, resistance, and acknowledgment of the gradual, intersectional, and heterogeneous efforts that continue day after day are never ending. My focus is on the essence of discussions about a colonial Italian (European) past that conditions the present through the colonial archive (of images, mental structures, discrimination, and ideologies). On the deconstruction of a eurocentric and patriarchal approach embedded in the way societies, mentalities, and histories are framed. On dismantling the barriers of access, space, and self-representation that afro-descendant voices have to face.
To escape the burden of representation. The more voices have the possibility to be heard, the less pressure will be put on the few ones that emerge from underground.
Blackness. An unsatisfying construction that morphs through time and space. Actually, Afro-realities are boundless.
My quest is to explore as much as possible the layers of my intricate existence. Where roots, belonging and self-definition are in constant flux.
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1: http://blackhistorymonthflorence.com/index.php/project/who-we-are/
2: http://blackhistorymonthflorence.com/index.php/project/bhmf-2021/