I won’t be posting your comment on ABW because it contains sexual objectification and skanky race issues. Please be sure to read the Required Reading and obey the Rules before posting here again.

nojojojo

If things don’t change soon, Italy could quite quickly become a fascist state again. Remember, in bad economic times, populations often look for “strong” leaders.

One of the reasons it is a scary place for Africans is due to the increase in illegal immigrants who are pouring into Italy. However, there is also the misfortune of having the African immigrants who arrive and make it bad for other Africans via rampant prostitution, panhandling, and selling knock off products on the beach. In the south, the Africans are now foot soldiers for the Mafia, Yes, the Mafia. It is very similar to the drug trafficking and immigration problems we are having in the states.

Emma, Romani’s as they are called here in Italy are what the Italians call people known as Gypsy’s. They refer to them as Romani because many of them are concentrated in Romania. However, the Gypsy’s are in many ways the “blacks” of Europe. They are originally an ethnicity that came to Europe in the thirteenth century on their own and because they were not white, they were enslaved in various parts of Europe. They were often sold in groups and when they finally were set free, they continued this tradition of traveling in large groups. They generally were set free with nothing, NOTHING to help them assimilate into society. So they for centuries have led lives centered around traveling, and criminal activity. Not all are bad, and a lot of hatred against them is racially motivated.
The Roma are descendants or citizens of Rome, Italy and Yes, people definitely can tell the difference.

I dunno–I try to remember to work on fighting domestic hate w/ 90% of my energy for that sort of thing, which is why I was thinking of something so lame as a, “I was going to go to Italy, but now I won’t until you do something!” letter. Seemed to fit into the 10% I’ve told myself is appropriate to set aside for foreign affairs.

The Southern Italians stand accused, essentially, of being _too African_.

http://digilander.libero.it/felixpetrelli/italian_stories.htm

and as i have been thinking deeply over the past few days about these dreams and visions, i felt compelled to say this:

we, as women of color, have been organizing ourselves for years on the internet. we have started blogs, and e-zines, social networking spaces, list serves, conferences, conversations, groups, websites, cd’s and more. we are incredibly prolific, visionary, each of us coming to this space with individual and collective visions of self-expression, survival, sexuality, business, teaching, learning, community, organizing, solidarity,art, dreams, healing, and love.

in my visions i kept seeing a women and transfolk of color blog. one that was updated daily with our news, analysis, announcements, personal reflections, conversations, and more. a location on the net where we, from our different perspectives and lives, are able to give voice to us. where we agree and disagree, and stay in conversation.

i see this blog as a part of the ongoing organizing and expression that we do both on- and off-line so well in the midst of our crazy, blessed lives.

and so i am sending this out into the ether asking what you think.

are there others who are interested in building such a space for women and transfolk of color?

i can offer a chance to see if this experiment could work. i have some free time to dedicate to the building of this site. a certain amount of knowledge of software and a willingness to learn more. a connection to some communities of color. and a desire to build with you.

please distribute this where you think appropriate.

and if you are interested please leave a comment at guerrillamamamedicine.wordpress.com