Racism, Atlantic Slavery, and Italy: Revisiting a Neglected Past

This essay aims to shed light on the relationship between the Atlantic slavery – which, differently from the Mediterranean slavery, established a strict correlation between people of African origin and the institution of slavery – and the rise of racism in the Peninsula. To this end, the deep – but overlooked – connections between Italians and the Atlantic slavery and slave trade will be firstly explored, comparing the Italian case to other European experiences. In the second part, the essay will focus on the historical analyses of racism, highlighting the relevance of the Atlantic slavery and slave trade in the diffusion and evolution of racial ideologies in Western World. Finally, the last part suggests some lines of inquiry to explore the phenomenon of racism in Italy.