Navigating Italy as Women of Color

As two women of color planning our trip to Italy, we searched the internet for advice and insights from other travelers who shared our experience. However, we found that information specifically tailored to the experiences of black women in Italy was surprisingly scarce. While we were excited to explore this beautiful country, we couldn't help but wonder what to expect.

We realized that we might encounter situations that required some navigation, especially given the relatively low number of black women and men at popular tourist sites. We want to emphasize that our experiences do not reflect the entirety of Italy, nor do they represent all black women's experiences. As confident black women, we did not allow these instances to detract from our overall enjoyment of the trip. Nonetheless, we feel it's important to share our experiences to help other travelers prepare for the unexpected.

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Stereotypes and Assumptions

As soon as we arrived in Italy, we were excited to explore the beautiful city. However, we couldn't help but notice the occasional stares and curious looks from some of the locals. One particular incident stands out when we overheard a young man from the UK ask "what are they doing here?" while staring at us. It wasn't until we spoke and he heard our accents that his demeanor changed from anger to curiosity. It was clear that he had assumed we were African immigrant workers. ​

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When All Heads Hung Low

While my mother and I come from a diverse background and are proud women of color, we recognized that our experiences as visitors in Italy might be different from those of immigrants of color. During our adventures, we observed that many black women and men would walk with their heads low, sometimes avoiding eye contact. We felt the urge to encourage them to walk with their heads held high, but we realized that we couldn't possibly understand the struggles they faced. We can only imagine the challenges and discrimination they might have encountered in a foreign country.​

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We Held Our Heads High

I remember strolling down the street with my mother after visiting the breathtaking St. Peter's Basilica when I suddenly felt someone's eyes on me. I turned to my right and found a middle-aged woman gawking at me, as if she had seen a rare sight. After what felt like an eternity of eye contact, I turned to my mother, who had also noticed the woman's stare. We couldn't help but burst into laughter. It seemed as though this woman had never seen anyone like us before - two proud black women, dressed to the nines.

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Shout Out To The Ones Who Get It

While we were in Italy, we also had a few other negative encounters, such as the incident where a woman refused to give my mother an ice cream until I paid, despite serving others before us. However, we also met some amazing people who were thrilled to meet non-Italians like us. For instance, there was a friendly man at the corner store who beamed with joy and said, "I love America!" when he heard me speaking. We also encountered a metro worker in Naples who, despite the language barrier, made sure we were on the right track when we were lost. Despite the microaggressions we faced, our confidence allowed us to stay positive and not let those experiences weigh us down.​