Sanremo 2022, Lorena Cesarini’s monologue against racism

The stage of the second evening of Sanremo 2022 is everything for Lorena Cesarini. Actress, 34, received the call from Amadeus for the Festival last January 1st: «« It was the best New Year’s greetings I could receive. I thought about it for zero seconds, I jumped for joy ». So here it is to open the evening as thrilled as ever.

And on this stage, Lorena wanted to bring a monologue with all the pride of being «the first black woman to lead from this stage. I am a Roman from Rome, but this skin and this hair have never been seen there ». So she began to tell herself: «I was born in Dakar and I grew up in Rome, I have a degree in Contemporary History, I also studied acting. I am an actress. I would say a fairly quiet life like many Italian girls, then it happens that Amadeus reveals the name of this year’s partners to Tg1, and announces a certain Lorena Cesarini and in fact here I am “, he explains,” It happens, however, that after this announcement I also discover that I’m not just an Italian girl, I am black. Until now at university, on the tram no one had ever felt the urge to tell me but as soon as Ama said this they felt the need to tell me. Maybe for some my skin color is a problem. I read some sentences that have been written on social media: “She doesn’t deserve it, they called her there because she’s black!“, and then “Here has arrived the extra community“.

She continues: «First I was upset because I was not used to it, then I was angry because it is my character, but I was left with a question:« Why? »,« Why do some feel the need to publish certain posts? Why are there those who are indignant? “,”Why is there someone who has a problem with my skin color? ‘ I’m not here to give an answer, but when I don’t have an answer, I inquire from those who know more than me ». And here she takes a book in her hand, Racism explained to my daughter by the Franco-Moroccan writer Tahar Ben Jelloun and reads a passage. And he is moved.

It begins with the daughter asking her father a question: “Father: what is racism?” And he replies: «It is a behavior distributed in all societies to the point of becoming, alas, banal. It consists in showing distrust and then contempt for people who have physical and cultural characteristics different from ours ». Then her daughter: “So I could be a racist too, if it’s so widespread?” And he: «No, a child is not born with racism in his head, it all depends on education: at school and at home. Racism believes that the foreigner belongs to an inferior race but he is completely wrong. Racism has no scientific basis, there is only one human race in which there are men, women, people of color, tall or short, with different and varied attitudes. All the men and women of the planet have blood of the same color in their veins, regardless of the color of their skin, because a man is equal to a man ». At this point Mèrième asks one last question: «Father, but can racists be cured ‘? And he: “But do you think that racism is a disease?”. “Yes, because it is not normal for a man to despise another man for the color of his skin.” And here is the father’s answer: “The recovery depends on them, if one asks himself questions, if he says:” It may be that I am wrong to think as I think. “Because when one manages to get out of one’s convictions, one goes towards freedom “.

Source: Vanity Fair

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