As today marks a month since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, I am reminded of one of the gory situations witnessed during the havoc. I had written an opinion piece on this and here it reads…
On the 24th of February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a bid to usurp her democratic existence and undermine her sovereignty. As a result, the media has since been awash with stories-pictures and videos-of Ukrainian nationals fleeing their homes for refuge in neighboring countries. Among those fleeing the country are students from Africa and India. Several media outlets have highlighted their plight in trying to find safety in Ukraine’s neighboring countries but being met with hostility. Racism has been heavily sited and messaging applications like Twitter have been filled with tweets detailing the students’ predicament.
Racism has been and still is a plague in society. It is unfortunate that in such times of war, it is still unashamedly baring its teeth. A video showing a young African girl being pushed out of the way for a “white” girl to board a train caused such a stir. It is both ironic and hypocritical for refugees from Ukraine to be allowed unbridled access into the neighboring countries when in 2015, Syrians seeking refuge in several European countries like Poland and Hungary were denied entry.
A question arises, what qualifies Ukrainians free access that was not obvious in the case of the Syrian refugees? Is it because they just like the Africans and Indians currently fleeing Ukraine do not have ‘blue eyes and blonde hair’, qualities attached to Europeans as observed by Ukraine’s Deputy Chief Prosecutor David Sakvarelidze?
Has war been likened to certain countries for so long that when it visits a different country the story is supposed to be different? Or has the color of one’s skin gone ahead to join the reasons as to why a person should be helped? Yes, it is understandable to argue that the escape plan favoured Ukrainian natives before the other groups of people. However, in so doing, the race card had been pulled out unknowingly.
Times of distress ought to bring communities together. The color of a person’s skin should not decide what action is best suited for them. Maya Angelou said, “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.”
EXTROVERTED INTROVERT 
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