The Racist Face of the Ukraine Conflict.
As the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine rages, the unlikely causalities are the black student who are studying in the Ukraine.
There are black students from across the world including Africa and Jamaica studying in the country due to cheaper education than in developing nations. As many Ukrainians rushed to get out of the country on trains and buses, black students are being barred from entering those trains and buses.
There are several videos on social media documenting the heartbreaking scenes as black students begged for their lives and plea to get out of the country.
A report from TVJ News, stated, black people living in Ukraine are facing severe problems as they try to flee the war. The video shows at a Polish Ukrainian border the police and soldiers refused to allow Africans to cross, allowing Ukrainians only . In the train stations in Kyiv, African students say it’s children first, women second, white men third, then the remaining is occupied by Africans. Majority of Africans are still waiting to get to Lviv. The students were intercepted and guns pointed at them, and security forces threatened to shoot if they move forward. They cried and plead with hands up saying, “we don’t have arms”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamina Johnson Smith has reported that twenty-four Jamaican students who arrived on Saturday in L’viv, Ukraine from Kharkiv by train are now forced to walk a 20-kilometre journey to Poland~ Jamaica Gleaner.
According to the Minister, the bus that was carrying the students to Poland were disrupted. The Jamaica Gleaner reported the bus carrying Jamaicans students were blocked by angry people. Jamaica Live cannot confirm if the Jamaican students were amongst the black people blocked from taking trains and buses leaving Ukraine but from the report, the students were forced to walk the rest of the journey into Poland. The twenty-four Jamaican students eventually got into Poland with the assistance of the Jamaican government.
A group of black people and woman seen with a young child was left stranded at a location.
The man said, these are the black community here. They are not allowing any black people to enter inside the gates, not even the ones with kids and no one is asking any question. He went on to say, no one is talking to us. All the places are blocked and they are only allowing Ukrainians in.
In another heartbreaking video you can see a room full of only black students. In the video one female student said they have no food, no help from the Nigerian authorities and people are fainting.
NAACP Releases Statement on the Treatment of Africans During Russia’s Attack on Ukraine
Stating as follows, “The NAACP is disheartened with the events surrounding the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. In these crisis moments choosing citizenship over humanity is an atrocity.
Right now in Ukraine, Black families, immigrants from the African diaspora and other people of color – mothers, children, and students are not only facing challenges to evacuate a deadly warzone but are being pushed from trains and beaten by police officers.
These callous acts are atrocious and reprehensible. As the world comes to the aid of the Ukraine and nations support the resettlement of people fleeing the nation, every individual must be treated with dignity and humanity. We call upon the Biden Administration and the United Nations to take every necessary action to protect the rights and to ensure the safe passage of all persons fleeing this blatant attack on a Nation’s sovereignty. The NAACP will do everything in its power to fight racist, cruel acts such as these – no matter where they are happening.