A mural celebrating Paola Egonu, the star of Italy's women's volleyball team who led her country to its first-ever Olympic gold medal in the sport at the Paris Olympics, has been defaced just one day after its unveiling. The mural, which was painted on the outer wall of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) headquarters in Rome, has sparked widespread condemnation and reignited discussions about racism in Italy.
The mural, created by street artist Laika, depicted Egonu mid-jump as she hits a volleyball, with the words "Stop Racism" prominently displayed. However, vandals spray-painted the athlete's image, altering her skin color to pink and erasing the anti-racism message. The identity of the vandals remains unknown.
Paola Egonu, 25, was born in Italy to Nigerian parents and has long been a symbol of Italy's diverse cultural identity. Despite her significant contributions to Italian sports, including being the top scorer in the Olympic final against the United States, Egonu has often been the target of racial abuse. In 2022, she temporarily stepped away from the national team after facing online racial attacks following Italy's loss to Brazil in the World Championship semi-finals.
The mural, titled "Italianità," was also a response to a controversial passage in a bestselling book by Roberto Vannacci, a far-right politician and European Parliament member. Vannacci had questioned Egonu's representation of "Italianness" despite her Italian citizenship, due to her physical features. His remarks have further fueled the ongoing debate about race and national identity in Italy.
The defacement of the mural has been met with strong reactions from across the political spectrum. Italy's Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, expressed his solidarity with Egonu, condemning the act as "vulgar racism." Elly Schlein, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, called the incident "disgusting" and reiterated her party's commitment to changing the law to grant citizenship at birth to children born in Italy to foreign parents, aligning the country with other European nations.
Rome's Mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, also condemned the vandalism, calling it "a vile insult to a great Italian who has brought the colors of our country to the top of the world, and to an artist committed to fighting against xenophobia." Italian men's volleyball team member Simone Giannelli described the vandals as "heartless, without dignity, and humanity."
This incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by athletes like Egonu, who, despite their achievements, continue to confront racism and discrimination. It also highlights the broader issue of how Italy grapples with its evolving identity in a multicultural society. The response to the mural's defacement reflects the urgency and importance of addressing these issues at both the societal and legislative levels.
Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com
