‘Whenever a black player excels in a team (in this case, Napoli) I always have tremendous anxiety about how he is supposed to be celebrated. From Sorbillo’s solidarity with Koulibaly who painted his face black, to the children you colored brown in “honor” of Osimhen for Carnival. Trust me, it’s not celebratory at all. It really gives goosebumps if you think it’s supportive, funny, a mask or a support for the Nigerian footballer». It’s not just any post Sabrina Efionay, which in the last book Goodbye, see you tomorrow. My incredible true story (Einaudi, 2022) talks about her difficulty of being a Nigerian born and raised in Italy with two mothers, one of whom is a victim of trafficking. For those unfamiliar with her, Sabrina rose to fame at 16 as “Sabrynex” with 4 million followers on Wattpad; she published for the first three young adult novels by Rizzoli, she at 23 she is already on her fourth book, the first with Einaudi.
Sabrina why the post?
«I always try to stay out of the social world where everyone has to have their say even on topics that don’t touch them personally. But I was overcome with great discouragement when yet another page came out on Instagram with a video of the carnival showing a five-six year old boy dressed up as Osimhen».
What was wrong?
“Nohe only had the Napoli shirt with the player’s name on it and his blond hair but also his skin, his hands and his face all painted a very dark brown. It was an incredibly disturbing image: on the one hand I understand this tribute to a very good footballer who is also Nigerian like me, but at the same time there is a very fine line between celebrating an idol and making a gaffe quite strong among black people. It would be quite absurd to see children dyed yellow to dress up as Korean defender Kim, but for the Nigerian it is another matter».
Which?
“A racist background against us black people. The issue is linked to blackface, the mask used in the theater as a tease towards Africans, to emphasize somatic aspects like a caricature, such as large lips, or in women, full breasts and very wide hips, like the “mami” of Gone With the Wind . They are all stereotypes that it is still difficult to fight. And I certainly can’t blame the children, but I feel angry and annoyed hearing adults justify things like this, as if the children were the ones to decide».
Are we all unwitting racists?
“Yes. If this were not the case, there would be nothing wrong with seeing a child paint his skin black, but it would be nice to be able to make them aware of what we are doing. We should start by educating ourselves: unfortunately, the greatest limitation that we adults have is that of no longer wanting to correct ourselves. It’s a cultural question.’
How can a tribute to a footballer become offensive?
‘Wanting to pretend to be black is questionable for real blacks. If you want to dress up as Spiderman or Captain America, everything is normal because you wear a character, but if you dress up as Osimhen by tracing black skin, you are not taking on the appearance of a football player but of a different culture. And then the black footballer is fine as long as he takes you to the top of the Serie A standings, but we’ve heard all the chants against Koulibaly. Painting your head black for him afterwards is not a gesture of solidarity. We will have black skin until the end of our days».
What should be done?
«Inform yourself and come to terms with an introjected racism that I also have myself. We live in a culture that has accustomed us to having discriminatory attitudes towards others, we should question ourselves a bit. I do it with topics like homophobia and sexism, it would be important for us all to do it».
What is racism for you?
‘Surely it’s not just seeing the lady who doesn’t sit next to me on the bus because I have black skin. It’s a more systemic and subtle thing, it pours into some attitudes learned over the years that seem normal. All of us in the conception of the different have a limit and we must do something without going to the extreme of the politically correct. So if I see a carnival costume that I find offensive and not a tribute, I say it and I would like not to feel minimized my feelings about it.
Have you experienced racism?
«Of course, even if I was born and raised in Italy. An even unconscious racism, even by my own relatives who do not perceive me as a black person, but when there is a comment to be made towards those who have the same skin color as me, they have not always managed to stop».
Something is changing?
«I am constantly aware that there is an air of change compared to the 90s when my mother arrived in Italy. There is a different atmosphere that is hard to breathe, even if I trust a lot in listening and in people’s empathy: it would be difficult for me to survive in hostile environments. And today I am able to raise awareness among my family and the people around me, even by speaking to school children. My Generation Z, which is seen as lost, actually has an enviable sensitivity.
His latest book is also the need for a complaint?
“Yes was born after the 2020 death of George Floyd by white ‘brothers’; at that moment I realized that I have never had my say about topics that were as close to me as those related to skin color».
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