This question played out in Porta Furba, a historically socialist neighborhood in southeast Rome, developed in the early 20th century.  As my class walked the streets of Porta Furba, balancing our notebooks in one hand with umbrellas in the other, our professor pointed down a side road and asked, “What do you see here?”  It was a wide street meant for walking, with shops and apartments on both sides.  At the end of the street where we stood, posts were lined up to block cars from entering.  The shops were open but empty, and we were the only ones walking on the street.

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Our professor continued to say that Porta Furba has a major parking issue because of an influx of rural immigration and the lack of space for them.  A year earlier, the walking street was a road with dozens of parking spots lined on it.  To promote foot traffic and tourist shopping, although it was not a frequented tourist site, Mayor Raggi blocked the road and turned it into a pedestrian walkway, thereby removing dozens of necessary parking spots.  Apartment residents now have to park blocks away from their homes, and the shops are getting no more foot traffic than before.  People in Porta Furba rioted over this walkway for shoppers, but it happened anyway.  They’ve threatened construction workers and started dumpster fires over other projects. 

 

Issues of contested space are found all throughout Rome.  Mayor Raggi’s “requalification projects” target periphery neighborhoods like Porta Furba, both urbanizing and gentrifying them. The term “requalification” means “to become qualified again,” as if the space is not considered truly Roman until it is prepped for tourists.

 

Since this lesson, I’ve been able to recognize urbanization and gentrification in the cities I visit and live in.  In my hometown of Raleigh, for example, the local government is engaging in the “downtown south project,” where a 140-acre piece of land on the south side of downtown Raleigh is being rezoned to create a stadium, entertainment complex, multiple skyscrapers and office buildings.  All of the media thus far has remarked this as a great win for the city, but no one is asking about the impact of this urbanization.  Who lived on the land being sold?  What businesses will have to move?  What was the socio-economic status of these families?  Were they given financial compensation?

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Through the concept of urbanization taught in my Rome Modern City class, I’ve learned that someone’s cultural identity can be weakened through this process because urbanization and gentrification eliminate the authentic character of an area that took generations to build.  Further, it introduces the question: How can the urban individual maintain independence and individuality of their existence against the sovereign powers of society?  Mayor Raggi knows the locals are rioting over her requalification project, yet she continues stripping away the true Rome for a picturesque version she believes tourists can appreciate.  At the same time, her supporters argue this urban rejuvenation is essential for the city to remain forward-looking.

 

For the same class, I researched the unique gender relations of the city, specifically how feminist movements have played out.  Upon entering the city, it became very clear that women have a different social role than in the United States.  Publicly, men are dominant, and women are submissive.  Women are openly gawked at by men of all ages and statuses, but women pretend not to notice.  They bashfully gaze out the window of a tram and men openly lick their lips while staring at them.  As an American woman who was unaccustomed to this norm, I’d often roll my eyes or say something whenever this happened to me.  I was never met with understanding, but every time, I was yelled and cursed at.  It is constant and aggressive, and in my experience, the most difficult cultural norm to accept. 

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Instead of judging it, I wanted to learn about it.  In my research, I discovered how the Western 1970s feminism movement played out in Italy but didn’t get the footing to impact gender roles, like it did in the US.  As highlighted in the attached artifact “Stuck in the Past,” the Italian feminism movement essentially borrowed ideals from the Western movements, which didn’t necessarily fit into Italian society.  Further, these relations are described as a “game between men and women.”  Where a Western woman might find this highly offensive, an Italian woman finds it flattering. 

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Through this research, I learned that just because gender norms are different from what I consider “feminist,” it doesn’t mean they are wrong.  Gender is a sensitive issue to cover in journalism, especially when it comes to other cultures’ acceptance of gender.  When writing about sensitive issues, I have learned to take my own opinion out and research instead.  By analyzing issues scientifically rather than through personal opinion, I can better understand the root, and therefore the trajectory. 

 

Beyond the classroom, I participated in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Equity Challenge during February of 2021.  Over the course of 21 days, or the time it takes to form a habit, I learned strategies to engage in meaningful conversation about race and racism.  Each day, I engaged with multiple media about different racially charged topics, including white privilege, microaggressions, cultural appropriation and anti-Black racism.  

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I kept a daily log of the media I viewed, my notes, my reflections and the actions I plan to take.  As highlighted in the attached artifact, “Racial Equity Challenge,” I learned about the history of racism, my personal privilege, microaggressions, systemic racism, allyship and more.  My most important realization can be seen highlighted on day 18, where I confronted my fear of saying something wrong while practicing allyship and being marked as a racist.  On this day, I was reminded that allyship is not about me, but about the marginalized groups who have had to deal with this feeling every time they are silenced by a white person.  I learned to own my mistakes, how to apologize and how allyship requires continued learning.

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This program has also taught me about myself as I engaged with these racially charged topics.  I learned that I’ve unintentionally benefited from institutional racism and sometimes, I unknowingly participated in microaggressions.  This was a difficult realization to come to because I’ve never meant to put myself before anyone else.  Most white people are well-intentioned but don’t understand their impact, which perpetuates the cycle of racism.  Through this 21-day learning and reflective period, I’ve broken out of that bubble. 

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By taking the time to check my own privilege and learn about the history of racism, I am able to better empathize with marginalized groups.  This program will strengthen my writing because in order to make an impact, I have to understand every angle of what I’m writing about – every story that could be told, which connects back to my “downtown south” scenario.  In addition, I can ask important questions in my future newsroom to ensure my colleagues and I are considering marginalized groups in our articles.  For example, I could introduce the conversation of if the way we display mugshots of Black people perpetuate stereotypes and if we should be showing the images at all. Further, by learning the components of identity and exploring my own in relation to those of marginalized groups, I will be able to write as an advocate rather than a bystander.

 

In today’s world of journalism, I feel that journalists are more interested in telling than listening, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like marginalized groups.  Through my curated course list and my time abroad, I made it my goal to listen.  I wanted to absorb everything I was learning, without applying any personal opinions as journalists frequently do.  In this practice, I was exposed to the intricacies of culture hidden behind the noise.  Most notably, I have witnessed how someone’s identity can be impacted by both societal and environmental factors.  In neighborhoods like Porta Furba, the “authentic Rome” is being gentrified, stripping the character of the culture and place, which can make residents feel like they don’t belong in their own home.  For many Black people in America, microaggressions suppress Black voices, and systemic racism perpetuates the disadvantages many Black people have experienced in the workplace, in education, in government, etc.  This also reigns true for Native American populations, Asian Americans and other People of Color.  Having learned how identity is formed and impacted, I can not only be a more effective writer, but I can better understand the people I associate myself with.

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Cultural competence is one of the most important factors of professional and civic engagement.  With what I’ve learned during my college years, I will be able to conduct myself in a polished and altruistic manner in the workplace.  Whether this is with colleagues or people I am interviewing, my experiences with identity will allow me to empathize with the people around me.  As a journalist, my entire career is based around civic engagement, or public affairs.  It is vital that I understand how and why people function the way they do.  Specifically, I must be culturally competent in the qualities that make them who they are.  Whether that is race, religion, culture, gender or family, a person’s upbringing has an impact on their choices.

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While some journalists write to persuade, I’ll write to inform.  Listening to other people, especially people with a different background to mine, is vital to crafting a transformative story.  By being educated about people, I can be an advocate for them in my personal life, and I can better write about them in my professional life, allowing my stories to have a bigger impact on the world around me.