Dept. of Modern Languages and Literatures Holds Anti-Fascist Event Series

The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures held “Black Italy: Invisible Stories of Liberation” — a series of events discussing the overlooked contributions from those of African descent during fascist Italy.

The two events were held Oct. 24 and Nov. 2, featuring renowned speakers writer Maaza Mengiste, visual artist and educator Dawit L. Petros and historian Silvana Patriarca, Ph.D..

The first event consisted of a panel discussion with Mengiste and Petros in conversation with Italian Program Undergraduate Director Cristina Lombardi-Diop. The central topic revolved around the history of fascist Italy and its second invasion of Ethiopia in 1935.

Discussing the harsh nature of the past is something that most people choose to avoid, according to Patriarca. Not many people want to talk about difficult subjects, which leads to the neglect of discussing other elements of the war.

By choosing to further general knowledge of history, society is able to recognize those who fought throughout it, according to Patriarca.

“It is always important to have a full view of the past — a more detailed and inclusive memory of past events from various perspectives,” Patriarca said.

Through events such as these, students are able to learn the entirety of events and the effects that they have on the world is how people can understand, recognize patterns and stop the repetition of history, according to Lombardi-Diop.

“It is very important to point out different historical events and ramifications of the present to learn how to study the past as events that are connected to other events somewhere else and in the present,” Lombardi-Diop said. “We have to be vigilant when we realize there are political and social forces that are trying to muffle our descent, censor the press and arrest people without civil rights warranties.”

Recognizing the faults within history allows societies to develop beyond those mistakes and provide a warning from repetition of the past, according to Mengiste. She said she finds reading to be the best way to understand history.

“If you are able to understand the ways that fascism worked on people’s daily routines,but also you can have a sense of the small ways people rebelled, it’s a lesson for the future,” Mengiste said.

Beginning in 1922, the Italian Fascism regime controlled the Italian population, resulting in decades of oppression and economic hardship for non-elites within Italy. Dictator Benito Mussolini led the regime with the help of the Organization for Vigilance and Repression of Anti-Fascism police authority.

Mussolini’s fascist reign consisted of the abuse of police authority, censored education and an emphasis on traditional gender roles through the restriction of contraceptives and limitation of female employment. 

Promoting a “pure Italian” notion, Mussolini instilled racial laws towards Italian Jews in 1938. Jews were prohibited from owning property, joining the military and from practicing professions like law and medicine. In partnership with Adolf Hitler, Jewish citizenship was revoked in Italy, and Mussolini began arresting and deporting around 10,000 Jews to Nazi concentration camps.

Mussolini’s regime wasn’t contained in Italy but infiltrated nearby countries Ethiopia and Albania.

In 1935, Mussolini invaded Ethiopia, marking the beginning of the second Italo-Ethiopian War. Italy stayed in Ethiopia until 1941, when Ethiopian and British troops drove Italian soldiers out.

During the panel, Mengiste and Petros discussed the importance of analyzing and understanding history’s deeper meaning, emphasizing the corruption that Ethiopia experienced during the Italian regime.

Understanding facts of history shouldn’t be taken at face-value as a lesson important for future generations to understand, according to Petros.

“There are always alternatives in history — the official narratives that are given, are actually not exactly accurate — there are other possibilities,” Petros said.

Having used themes of entanglements between colonialism and modernity throughout the past decade, Petros published photographs, moving images, sculptural objects and sound work to display the overlapping cultures and voices of the past, according to the Department of Modern Languages and Literature in a pamphlet about the event.

Petros said he strives to encourage conversations about possibilities that may differ from taught history and deeper context within history through his educational and artistic experience.

“I motivate students to inform themselves as much as they can so that they can meaningfully interact with this material and arrive at a different understanding or pose different questions,” Petros said.

During WWII, the Italo-Ethiopian War became unrecognized as a result of Germany’s fascist regime taking over a large portion of the media, Mengiste and Petros said during the event. Because of this, African-Americans began to teach themselves the overlooked history of the war due to previous generations hiding the painful realities, Mengiste said.

“These histories become uncomfortable for even Ethiopians. Everyone just wants to talk about the victory,” Mengiste said. “No one says anything.”

Having relatives who are both Ethiopian and Italian, Mengiste said many things go unsaid regarding the brutalities that occurred during the war. Despite the actions of past generations, she said she finds hope in the exchange of ideas in the younger generations and in understanding the present moment.

The second event of the series is a showing of Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna (2008) introduced by Patriarca. The film highlights a massacre in Tuscany, Italy and the experience of the famed Buffalo Soldiers from the 92nd Division in Italy in WWII.

The 92nd “Buffalo” Division was one of three Black divisions during WWII and the only of them to see action in Europe. Throughout WWII and after, the soldiers were denied recognition for their fight until 1992 when current U.S. President George H.W. Bush recognized July 28 as Buffalo Soldiers Day.

The recognition of the Buffalo Soldiers highlights the importance of knowing the full extent of history, Patriarca said.

“It is a story that is often ignored and overlooked,” Patriarca said. “They made sacrifices to be there, so why not recall them and give them the tributes that they deserve.”

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly spelled “fascism,” the last name “Patriarca” and misquoted Lombardi-Diop as having said “political forces,” when she said “political and social forces.” The article was updated Nov. 12, 2025 to reflect the correct spellings and quote.