ROME– Foreign Policy Magazine has included Cecile Kyenge, Italy’s first black Cabinet minister, on its the list of 100 most influential global thinkers. The magazine said Ms Kyenge is changing Italy to help eliminate race problems that still exist on the peninsula.

 The most common case of racism can be observed during Italy’s favourite sport, soccer. There have also been attacks on immigrants, who many Italians blame for crimes and over taxation.

Born in Congo, Ms Kyenge, arrived in Italy to study medicine and married an Italian. In February elections last year she won a seat in the Chamber of Deputies after being active in centre–left politics.

When Gianni Letta became Prime Minister he chose her as Minister of Integration. In his introductory speech to Parliament about the appointment he declared it a “new concept about the confines of barriers giving way to hope, of unsurpassable limits, to bridge diverse communities.” Ms Kyenge’s entrance into the Italian Government was not positively accepted by all the Italian population, causing racist comments against her. Kyenge tweeted thanking those who went in her defence and stated that, “I believe even criticism can inform if it’s done with respect.”

The most recent case where the Minister intervened was about the video shown on news program TG2 of the immigrants being mistreated in Lampedusa. “This is unacceptable in a Democratic nation,” she said.