In Nero: Black Girls in Rome - A Decennial Review began as my passion project a decade ago. As a Black woman from Texas who lived in Rome for the better part of seventeen years, I had a strong urge to gather as many Black women who were living in the same city as possible, to provide space and opportunity for them to share their truths, and to document the process.

The first installment of Black Girls in Rome was completed in 2015 and uploaded to YouTube. I decided to review the concept this year (2025), in celebration of the ten-year anniversary, and to reinterview some original participants as well as new interviewees. I'd like to continue revisiting the series every decade or so, to see how things are going and evolving.

"In Nero," in Italian, is a term that means to work under the table, or to labor without having an established contract. The use of the term "girls" in the project's title is intentional. While all women who participated in the documentary are adults, Black women, regardless of age are often passively referred to as 'girls' in social settings. Employing 'in nero', which also means 'in black,' and 'girls' in the project's title and throughout the documentary, provided a sense of claiming these terms, in a way. Being able to provide space and time for Black women in Rome to narrate our experiences and ourselves in the eternal city felt and still feels timely, and deeply satisfying.

As I stated in the documentary, Rome has had a profound impact on my evolution as an individual, as well as a member of society. It's one thing to visit Roma; it is a completely different thing to curate a life in one of the most romanticized cities on the planet. Most assuredly, Rome is not always a bed of roses. Despite that fact, I do know her to be a supreme mother and teacher, who challenges and raises those who dare to stay under her tutelage for longer than just a visit.