Most of us are riveted to the
television, radio, or internet to learn more about what is happening
in Ukraine. On one hand, it is a world away, but on the other hand,
it is right next door because it affects us. Not only is there the
devastating loss of human life, but there are also the ways that we
in the United States are affected by Putin’s putrid boldness.
We are feeling it in our pocketbooks as we watch gasoline prices
rise. We also feel it in our hearts as we watch people leave,
juggling their bundles of belongings, not knowing if they will ever
see home again.
Black
people who live in Ukraine have been mostly ignored when these human
interest stories are broadcast. If it were not for journalists Roland
Martin and David A. Love, we would not know much about how Black
Ukrainians are being treated. Roland was the first to speak of it,
highlighting how Black folk in Ukraine were being turned away from
busses and trains leaving the country. BC Executive Editor and
columnist, David A. Love, has written
about the ways the majority media has highlighted human
suffering, ignoring Black suffering as if we are not human. I am not
surprised at this global anti-Blackness as it is the same in Ukraine
as it is in the UK or parts of Latin America. Global predatory
capitalism has made it acceptable for people to discriminate, even in
times of war and crisis. Even without war and crisis, Ukraine has an
ugly
history of racism. I’m not singling Ukraine out –
every non-African country in this world simmers in its racism. Only
in crisis does it come to a boil.
From
Twitter, Ukraine’s Deputy Chief Prosecutor David Sakvarelidze
said, “It’s very emotional for me because I see European
people with blue eyes and blonde hair being killed.” - What
about the folks with brown eyes, brown skin, and brown hair? Their
plight is less impactful, at least for him. Sakvarelidze, your racism
is showing. But he’s not the only one. Others have commented on
the middle-class status of the fleeing white Ukrainians as if the
Black folks fleeing, many who are students, don’t have enough
status to be treated compassionately.
Of
course, the Ukrainian government has issued a statement denying any
racism. What else can they say? The United States can play a role in
ensuring that Black folks fleeing Ukraine are fairly treated. If we
are sending humanitarian aid, we should condition it to fairness in
the distribution of aid. Or, if we are sending people to the border
to administer aid, we could ensure that our envoys are
race-sensitive. If Black folks can’t get on busses or trains,
perhaps we could offer busses and trains for them. In the face of
blatant racism, we must create race-specific remedies so that no
population in Ukraine or anywhere else feels a disproportionate
amount of pain.
Other
media outlets have jumped on the bandwagon since Roland Martin and
David Love have called this racism out. However, I’ve yet to
see an in-depth profile of an African family trying to leave. In
contrast, I’ve seen several white Ukrainians doing things like
getting married in uniform, feeding neighbors, or being taken in by
Polish people or others. Where are the stories about the African
students abandoning their studies or African families being
fractured? This is not just about Ukrainian racism. It is also about
white journalistic myopia that refuses to acknowledge Black humanity.
My
heart breaks for Ukraine. I’ve become a great fan of their
bodacious and defiant President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. My heart also
breaks for my African brothers and sisters in Ukraine attempting to
survive bombs and bombast while also struggling with racism that
treats them so very differently from other human beings. I implore
President Biden and Vice-President Harris to consider the way Black
folk are being treated in Ukraine and tie some of the aid we offer to
anti-racist efforts. I want more humanitarian stories about Black
folk in Ukraine. Sojourner Truth’s resonant statement was
“Ain’t I A Woman”. In Ukraine, Black folks might
ask, “Ain’t I A Human”.
