Two weeks into Vladimir Putin’s War in Ukraine and some Africans trying to get out are hearing the words “Whites Only”

A week ago in the SCOOP Online Newspaper, I wrote a column about the fact that there were at least three thousand Black people living in Ukraine, according to experts on the subject; although, leaders in Ukraine have never done an official census count on how many Blacks are living there. Let me just share a brief breakdown with you, in case you didn’t see my column last week,
Who are these Blacks? The majority of the Black people who were or are still living in Ukraine, at this time, are Africans who came to Ukraine to study at their universities. The majority of the Africans who are students come from Nigeria, and there are other Black Africans who chose to attend college in Ukraine. Some of the people of African heritage attended university, married, and remained in Ukraine after graduation.
After doing some searches online about the subject of Blacks who live in Ukraine, I came across hundreds of photographs of clearly what looks to be mixed-race children and teens, the product of African/Ukrainian relationships and marriage. Many of the Blacks who have made Ukraine their home seemed to feel welcomed and appreciated and a part of the Ukrainian society.
That is until Vladimir Putin decided he needed to have his Russian army invade Ukraine, bombing entire communities, taking over several cities, looting, stealing, and destroying everything they can, with each step they take.
As women and babies and children and the elderly of Ukraine started making an exodus for the borders of Ukraine so they could find safety in Poland or other parts of Europe, healthy men and teens age 18 and older had no choice in the matter. A demand was made that they stay in Ukraine and help fight for their battered nation.
Ok. So far I was feeling great sympathy and concern for the “poor people” of Ukraine. I detest war. In my head and my heart, since I’ve been old enough to pray, I have always prayed for peace. I always pray for solutions that can smooth issues over and leave all concerned parties who may have been talking of starting a war appeased and with a new attitude.
Understand this: Vladimir Putin is a racist. He definitely does not like or respect people of color, Black people in particular. When it comes to the white people who claim Ukrainian heritage, it’s been reported that Putin looks down his nose at the white Ukrainians as if they are what some racists in this country call “poor white trash.” While white Ukrainians can have blond hair and blue eyes to go with that white skin, to Putin they are nothing. That’s why it’s so easy for him to have army tanks in the streets of certain cities in Ukraine, just shooting every which way, murdering innocent babies and unarmed civilians who are just trying to get out of harm’s way.
This brings me back to the “poor, white, innocent Ukrainians,” who are simply trying to escape the Russian’s wrath, bombs, and bullets.
Thank God for Comedian D.L. Hugley, who although a comedian by trade, he’s turned into quite an activist over the years. When he gets a hold of a news story where Blacks or other people of color are being mistreated, watch out because D.L. Hugley is going to go on social media and blast it to the world.
Right after this Russian invasion started and the civilian people of Ukraine realized that Putin wasn’t playing with them, we started witnessing evacuations.
D.L. Hugley got some video footage that showed a handful of Black women with babies and toddlers, being dragged off of evacuation buses, so they could make more seats available for whites. Other video clips were shared by D.L. Hugley towards the end of last week that showed Ukrainian police or soldiers at the checkpoint leading to the border between the Ukraine and Poland, chasing Black Africans away from the line where people were assembled, to get on trains or buses to escape. One video clip I saw online showed Ukrainian soldiers or police firing rifles at Africans to get them to back away from the lines that again, would take them out of Ukraine and to safety.
Once again, like a cold slap in the face, I have been reminded, and all of us, as Black people should be reminded to never forget, there’s always going to be racists in this world who don’t like us and will disrespect us, the first chance they get. These same racists will let us know just how they feel. I’ll bet some of the white Ukrainians (not all of them), but some of them, think like this: “Let the Africans and other Blacks and browns come to our country. Let them spend their money getting educated at our universities. Let us make money off of them while they are here because they need housing and food and other necessities. Some white Ukrainians might even have turned their heads the other way when some of the African students mated with their women. For the almighty dollar, a lot of people will look the other way. However, when wartime comes, folks’ true colors really show. It’s all about me and mine, My people. My white people, not you darkies.”
I sat in my living room and watched a beautiful Black African woman, who looked to be in her early twenties maybe, with a newborn baby, sitting on the ground, looking frightened and abandoned, with her infant clinging to her chest. The woman was sobbing and explaining in broken English, how she had been forced off a bus, so a white woman with her baby, could have a seat.
Is this not reminiscent of the 40s, 50s, and 60s, when our ancestors here in America were not allowed to “ride the buses or the trains” because we supposedly weren’t good enough to ride with white folks?
The Philadelphia Council of Clergy (PCC), headed up by Archbishop Mary Floyd Palmer, joined members of the Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church at 2400 Polar Street, Monday evening, March 7th for an Ecumenical Prayer Service for the people of Ukraine. That’s a good thing and I do believe in the power of prayer. Black Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity when they hosted their First Friday Prayer Service in March, offered special prayers for the people of Ukraine. This too was a good thing to do.
I am not suggesting that we don’t pray for the people of Ukraine. I am not suggesting we turn a cold heart to them. I’m just here to let you know that just like here in America, there are good people, and there are mean, evil people lurking. As much hatred as Vladimir Putin has shown towards white Ukrainians, some of those very same Ukrainians have the nerve to harbor hate towards our people just because of the color of our skin.
Know this, when God comes back to earth, and He’s making His judgments, my Bible tells me that “the last shall be first.”