DESCRIPTION

The event The Right to Be (Seen): Afrodescendant Women Artists in Italy and Beyond National Borders spans three days and features the in-person participation of Afrodescendant directors and actresses Nadia Ali; Daphne Di Cinto; Ira Fronten; Nadia Kibout; Laila Petrone; Iris Peynado; writer, photographer, and director Marilena Umuhoza Delli; and scholar, filmmaker and activist Medhin Paolos. Additionally, writer and journalist Geneviève Makaping will join remotely, and screenwriter Simone Brioni will participate in person. Students and scholars from Bucknell and other universities will be actively engaged in person and online, seeking and creating knowledge, understanding and meaning through scholarship. Encouraged to examine the themes of multi-ethnic identity, gender and race in Italian and transnational cinema and TV, immigration, and the concept of “citizenship” through a postcolonial, decolonial, transnational, and intersectional lens, American and international participants will examine these topics in relation to their own societies and cutures.

On October 24, the artists will participate in a Q&A session following the screenings of their films and two theatrical performances featuring invited actresses. This event is free and open to the public. On October 25, Bucknell University will host a symposium and forum, both in-person and online, open to the community. Participants will include scholars and students from Bucknell and other universities in the US and Europe, alongside community members from Lewisburg and surrounding areas. On October 26, the Campus Theater will host a jazz and blues concert titled “The Divas Sung by Karen Meeks ” with the Blue River Soul band. This performance will celebrate and pay tribute to five groundbreaking Black women in American music: Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Etta James. For more information, please refer to the individual event links provided above.

While the majority of the guest artists hail from Italy, their migrant experiences and multi-ethnic origins, with some arriving from North Africa and others from South America, underscore the importance of considering transnational and intersectional perspectives. The event provides a valuable platform for students and scholars to discuss feminism, gender, race, and social class issues, specifically addressing the experiences of black and brown individuals in Italy and globally. 

This event’s distinctiveness arises from the opportunity it offers the participants to embrace an interdisciplinary perspective stemming from their respective fields of study (such as Foreign Languages and Cultures, Critical Black Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, Film Studies, Music, and Theatre, International Relations). It will immerse them in experiential learning alongside Afrodescendant professionals who encounter discrimination in their daily lives. As components of a meticulously organized initiative involving multiple departments at Bucknell, and several associations outside the university, students and scholars will be invited to engage in film screenings, attend theatrical performances featuring professional actresses, and participate in a jazz/blues concert. Additionally, the participants will have the opportunity to conduct interviews and collaborate with the artists, contribute to symposium discussions, and actively engage with guest speakers at the forum.

The overarching objective of these endeavors is to foster critical thinking, encourage the practice of cultural humility and inclusion, and cultivate students into global citizens capable of effecting positive change. They will delve into instances of activism and resistance by Afrodescendant women in a community marginalized by a suppressed colonial history and the enduring influence of a patriarchal, capitalist, and racist system. As part of a collaboration with the Lewisburg Community Zone, participants will actively engage with the local community as well. Notably, the film screenings, theatrical performances, and jazz/blues concert will be hosted at the Campus Theater in the heart of downtown Lewisburg, extending an open invitation to residents of Lewisburg and the neighboring areas.

Heartfelt thanks to our sponsors and collaborators who made this event possible.