The constant fear of being attacked in the street or anywhere has become a way of life among Africans living in Russia. Majority of the attacks are racial motivated, according euranet.eu report.
Make no eye contact, avoid looking lost, travel between 8am and 5pm and always sit close to the driver on public transport – just some of the advice given to Africans upon arrival in Moscow. The harsh reality for a lot of Russia-bound Africans is that they may become victims of racist violence. (Source www.africansinsweden.se)
Africans in Moscow Struggle with Snow and Harassment
Africans in Russia face hostility, but some succeed despite it
Interesting website: Asylum in Bardak - Africans in Russia at http://african-russia.net
Also see the post Russia: Afro Russians Discuss Discrimination
But although these videos describe a harsh reality, there are black people who are very positive about living in Russia.
This post was updated
Wow that's awful. Here I'm watching African American Lives 2 on PBS. Has much changed? Is this a new thing?
ReplyDeleteDisgusting & disgraceful! i cant believe this is the country thats going to host a world cup!!
ReplyDeleteRussia has such a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteThese people are so cruel, all this is a lack of intelligence... I just find it absurd that the russian government isn't doing more to brake these cruel acts..Vladimir Putin has to do more about this like seriously..;we are in 2012 now like all these inhumane acts have to come to an end...!
ReplyDeletegod created all men and women..... they have no right to treat them like that, were all equal and the same..... I'm russian so i know that all russians aren't like this. I just wish there was some way things could be different, i don't think that there minds could be changed. they need jesus to change them.
ReplyDeleteSir:
DeleteI have a question for you since your Russian? Why do people in your country have Nazi views? Don't they know, Hitler considered " white slavic people" to be more ineferior than Blacks and more destructive than Jews? The Nazis advocated the massacre of 30 million slavs and those that did survive would be used as slaves or breeding stock if they looked "Aryan"
enough. In addition, they killed 20 million Russians, 8 million poles and 3 million Ukrainians. This really absurd. For this would be the equivalence of Black people liking the K.K.K. Thanks!!
This is ASTOUNDING news! In the most vicious hours of Jim Crow laws ( legal forced segregation) in the United States, roughly 1912-1965, Russia actively INVITED African-Americans to relocate there. When we couldn't even drink out of the same public water fountains as whites or be served in the same restaurants with them, in places as far north as the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Russia welcomed us.One of the most famous examples is the talented singer/actor, Paul Robeson, who was declared persona non grata in the U.S. but hailed as a superstar in Russia. One can read the autobiography of a Black female Russian journalist, "Soul to Soul", and get the background about Russia's past "like affair" with Blacks; particularly African-Americans. But now, THIS? Wow! I'm starting to rethink some of the rhetoric I have heard from friends about how Capitalism dehumanizes......
ReplyDeleteThe lesson: DON'T GO TO RUSSIA! It is a racist society. This is well known. Don't have children there and leave them to an intolerant society.
ReplyDeleteOh. I love seeing Africans mocking Black Americans with ugly stereotypes and then complaining why people don't want them there.
What I don't understand is, where are the African governments on this? What's the point of countries being in trade and diplomacy groups with Russia (like South Africa in BRICS) if their own citizens encounter such criminality and lawlessness when they get there? What African company can sustain a consumer brand in Russia with this kind of rampant anti-African lawlessness? And what's the point of a government if it doesn't protect its citizens' interests abroad?
ReplyDeleteI'm truly disgusted. I'm African American and I love all people. It's really sad that in 2012 people can still be so ignorant. I was born in the 80's in New York city so I haven't dealt with too much racism in my life. It's a wake up call that racism still exist. Hey, its a big world out there full of beautiful cultures...they are really missing out being closed minded.
ReplyDeleteBeing a Russian citizen myself, I want to say that it is very sad to live in a country with such kind of attitude toward other people. I want to apologize for those who ever got involved in those cruel racist events. I am almost sure that Russian government is not doing anything about it because this situation is working for it. Racist ideology takes the attention of Russian youngsters who don't have a job or any future. They spend all their time by "freeing" Russia, they are not intelligent enough to understand that this is a propaganda coming from the government to distract their attention from the poverty and corruption coming from their own citizens.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon:
DeleteExcellent article, other people need to have your insight in your country, mine-the U.S., and other nation. For Big government and corporations cause these problems. However, as i asked last month, why Nazi-like views. I mean, don't these people know the Nazis during WWII had low opinions of "white slavic" peoples? I'm just curious along with confused. Thanks!!
to everyone:
ReplyDeletebut why does russia have to accept usa americans n afro americans .. ?
Don't get any ideas, nobody wants to live in Russia. Not because a few desperate Africans want to get a cheap education it means that black people want to live there. So please stay in that communist Micky Mouse system of yours and don't bother us.
DeleteI used to hear how dangerous Russia is for Africans. I regret watching this clip because it has raised my anger over Russians. I don't want my heart to be full of hate, I will try my best to forget what I watched!
ReplyDeleteThis is truly sad and hard to watch without the human soul griven for sympathy for these people. No human is an animal and should not be treated as such.
ReplyDeleteRussian society has to civilize it's society and educate the masses on human dignity toward others.
As a person from Eastern Europe I can tell you that life for a person of colour is always difficult in this region. Slavic people have a xenophobic mentality in general. They don't even get along amongst each other. Russia,for example, invaded Czechoslovakia during Communism as a way of keeping their control over the region.
ReplyDeleteEastern Europeans are the truly backwards, extreme version of white supremacist. They like to see themselves above non-white people in order to massage their ego. Since the communism is over the world opened up to them and they realised that they are far behind Western European countries and now they are getting poorer and poorer.
Non-whites are a competition for them and they fear that one day they may gain a lot of power in their country and start to rule their culture.
I'm afraid it will take a very long time for this region to civilise. Eastern Europeans are not willing to change their primitive ways because this way they feel secure and powerful. The most ridiculous thing is that they portray themselves as victims and insult the real victims. I've read many comments on news about blacks who were attacked and many posters did not pay attention to the crime at all. Instead they went on saying that blacks have high rates of crime in the West and they are dangerous people!
this is sad http://www.unn.edu.ng/department/medical-laboratory-sciences
ReplyDeleteSweeties this is television. This is a motivated story on racism in Russia focused on Africans living in Russia. The African population in Russia is minute. And the geography of Russia is massive. Clearly the Russian government (which was not featured in this program) needs to create laws but more importantly the citizens of Russia must not condone "neo-nazi" behavior. It was a compelling piece but most emerging countries have an influx of immigrants and Africans generally stand out and are treated as such whether beaten/facing violence or (self)objectified like posing as (American styled) rappers.
ReplyDeletethe more i read and see, the more i feel like ive traveled back in time and im back in late 1980's england again. russia is said so often to be driving forward and a superpower but its clear they are still over 20 years behind, so no wonder in 2013 they are still treated like the worlds enemy and they cant freely travel.
ReplyDeletejohnherring83@btinternet.com