Paola Egonu Celebrated with Graffiti, Defaced with Vandalism

Racism and Xenophobia Threaten to Overshadow Italia’s Olympic Gold Medal

Rome’s mayor and a chorus of others have denounced the defacing of a street-art celebration of Paola Egonu, who helped lead Italy to its first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s volleyball in Paris.

Egonu, born in Italy to parents of Nigerian origin, was named tournament MVP after she led Italy to beat the U.S. defending champions on Sunday. The gold medal capped a dominant Olympic tournament in which the Italian women lost just one set.

Hours after the Games ended, street artist Laika celebrated Egonu with a work of opposite the Rome headquarters of the Italian Olympic Committee. The graffiti, entitled “Italianness,” showed Egonu, with her trademark long ponytail and wearing her Azzurri blue uniform, spiking a ball that had the words “Stop racism, hatred, xenophobia” on it.

Years of Racist Abuse Faced by Paola Egonu

The graffiti was a reference to the years of racist abuse Egonu has endured as a Black athlete in Italy, with prominent figures regularly questioning her citizenship and “Italianness.” Egonu is Italian and was even awarded one of the country’s highest civilian honours in 2021 by the Italian president.

Defacing of Graffiti and Condemnation from Rome’s Mayor

A day after images of Laika’s graffiti celebration began circulating, someone painted over the original work, turning Egonu’s dark skin pink and blurring out the words on the volleyball. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri denounced the vandalism as a “vile, shameful insult” to both Egonu and Laika.

In a statement that praised Egonu’s athletic greatness and Laika’s commitment to fighting xenophobia, Gualtieri said it was “sad that in 2024 there are still racists who are prisoners of their own ignorance who want to roll back the hands of history.”

At some point on Tuesday, someone used a dark marker to try to restore Laika’s original design.

Background of the Situation

In 2022, Egonu threatened to quit the national team after being subject to racist abuse online questioning whether she was Italian, evidence of common assumptions here that anyone who is Black is a newly arrived migrant.

In a social media post explaining the graffiti, Laika wrote that there’s no place in Italy for xenophobia, racism, hatred or intolerance. “Racism is a social plague that must be overcome. Doing so via sport is so important,” Laika wrote.

The winning Italian volleyball team featured other Black Italians, as well as Ekaterina Antropova, a Russian who has long played in Italy and was granted Italian citizenship by the government last year.

Conclusion

The incident highlights the continued struggle against racism and xenophobia in Italy, despite Egonu’s historic achievement in the Olympics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why did someone vandalize the graffiti of Paola Egonu?

A: The vandalism was likely an act of hate speech, meant to undermine Paola Egonu’s achievement and attack her identity as a Black Italian woman.

Q: Has Paola Egonu been affected by racist abuse in the past?

A: Yes, Egonu has faced years of racist abuse and questioning about her citizenship and “Italianness,” despite being an Italian citizen.

Q: How has the government responded to the situation?

A: Rome’s Mayor has condemned the vandalism, calling it a “vile, shameful insult” to both Egonu and the artist Laika. No further statement has been made by the government at the time of writing.