When Antonella Bundu was born in Florence on 4 December 1969, no one could have predicted that she would one day make history in Italian politics. The daughter of an Italian mother and a Sierra Leonean father who came to Florence in the 1960s on a government scholarship to study architecture, Antonella grew up moving between two worlds. In 1972, her family returned to Sierra Leone, where she spent her childhood and formative school years before later leaving for further studies in the United Kingdom.
Liverpool in the 1980s was a city in crisis. When Bundu arrived there for her studies, the scars of the Toxteth riots were still raw. The riots had erupted in 1981 following years of police harassment and economic neglect in Black communities. For a young Sierra Leonean-Italian woman, the injustice was impossible to ignore. She immersed herself in books on Black history at local libraries, joined neighbourhood protests, and began to see activism not as a choice but as a responsibility.
After her studies, Bundu returned to Italy. In Florence she balanced work as a DJ with activism, lending her voice to marches, community protests, and campaigns for humanitarian causes through Oxfam. Her activism often put her in direct confrontation with the rising tide of racism and right-wing politics in Italy.
In 2019, Bundu became the first Black woman to run for mayor of Florence. She stood as the lead candidate for a coalition of socialist and leftist parties, including Power to the People and the Communist Refoundation Party. She won more than 14,000 votes—7.29 percent of the total—securing a place on the Florence City Council.
As leader of the Sinistra Progetto Comune group, Bundu has pushed policies that address homelessness, unemployment, and the rights of the marginalised. Her colleagues and critics alike note her persistence in pushing social justice issues onto the council’s agenda, ensuring that those often ignored have a voice in decision-making.
Now Bundu has her eyes on the presidency of the Tuscany region, running under the Toscana Rossa platform. Her campaign centres on employment, housing, accessible healthcare, and protecting the environment. Winning would make her one of the most prominent Black women in European politics, a milestone not only for Italy but for communities that struggle to see themselves represented in power.
Bundu’s story carries deep resonance for Sierra Leone, the country where she spent her school years and to which she remains tied through her father’s heritage. In Sierra Leone, women’s political participation remains limited, with many still excluded from leadership roles. Bundu’s rise in Italy underscores the possibilities for women who dare to step forward, even in difficult contexts.
Her journey is not without struggle, but it stands as a reminder that persistence matters. By refusing to accept silence or invisibility, Antonella Bundu has carved out space for herself in Italian politics and inspired others across borders.
As she seeks Tuscany’s presidency, I join many in Sierra Leone and beyond in wishing her strength and success.