Being Black in Italy means you’re likely NOT born a citizen. Until the Civil War, the same was true for Black people in the United States. Citizenship was reserved for white people only. These histories aren’t so disconnected.

Black American reporter Ngofeen Mputubwele (New Yorker Radio Hour) tells the story of Black Italians like Bellamy Ogak of Afroitalian Souls and the multi-year campaign for birthright citizenship -- connecting the dots between race, nationality, and white supremacy in our two countries. What does it take to belong to the place you’re from?

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The Laws of Soil and Blood