It doesn’t matter that a war is raging that could even go nuclear, you can be confident that many Europeans – and in the West – will resort to their default position of racism when it comes to people of a different color. Not surprisingly, black South Africans, who have studied and worked in Ukraine, have been subjected to racial abuse and exploitation by the same Ukrainians who claim they are being abused by the invading Russian military. The SA government and independent groups have confirmed allegations that black South Africans and others from the continent…
It doesn’t matter that a war is raging that could even go nuclear, you can be confident that many Europeans – and in the West – will resort to their default position of racism when it comes to people of a different color.
Not surprisingly, black South Africans, who have studied and worked in Ukraine, have been subjected to racial abuse and exploitation by the same Ukrainians who claim they are being abused by the invading Russian military.
The SA government and independent groups have confirmed allegations that black South Africans and others from the continent have been mistreated on Ukraine’s borders as they tried to flee the country.
Border guards have threatened to shoot these Africans, some of them have been attacked and others have been exploited by defrauding transport costs far higher than would be paid by the locals. Government officials and people in neighboring countries have welcomed the white Ukrainian refugees with open arms, having tried just weeks before to bar people from Africa and Syria from entering their country.
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Western media coverage of events has often been tainted by the concept of racial superiority so instilled by colonialism.
Commentators from some TV channels have expressed surprise that this is a war “between two civilized countries”, while others clearly have no idea that refugees are white and blue-eyed.
The scope of coverage has also been much wider – even if we factor in the massive background nuclear threat – than ever before for “Third World” conflicts.
It is also encouraging to hear that South Africans – of all colors and in all parts of the world – are opening their homes to our people and Ukrainian refugees. If this war reminds us that we are all only human, something good can come of it.