Guardians of Humanity
Issue #43
We watch in horror as the Russian invasion progresses in Ukraine, now with thousands dead, senseless destruction and chaos and nearly 1 million refugees fleeing the country for safety. Among those seeking refuge are African students and mothers. But border guards are reportedly not allowing them to escape across the border. Videos show African students being held back at gunpoint. African mothers clutching infants, sitting outside in freezing temperatures forbidden to cross borders to safety, because guards insist, “Ukrainians first!” Not allowed to leave a war zone because of the color of their skin.
The media certainly has offered up its fair share of racist remarks, expressing shock about what’s happening in Ukraine because it is more “civilized” than other countries that have experienced battles and bloodshed. Sure, it may be unintended, but it doesn’t make the comments less hurtful. It also reflects the importance of diversity in the newsroom where people of color can advocate and speak up for the stories affecting Black and brown refugees. CNN’s Sara Sidner asked an EU commissioner about widespread reports of discrimination against people of color at the Ukrainian border. He said it might be fake news and unconfirmed. Her response: “I have corroborated it. I have talked to Africans and Indians who said they were pushed off trains and left behind…” Her pushback serves as a proof point for the need of Black representation in media.
The bias, anti-Blackness, and racism seen at Ukraine’s border play out everywhere: in split-second decisions during board meetings and, of course, police encounters. Here at home in New Jersey, two boys got into a fight – a Black eighth grader was fending off an alleged white bully. When the officers approached to break up the fight, the Black boy was thrown to the ground, arms placed aggressively behind his back by a male officer. The white bully was asked to sit down on a bench by a female officer. Once he sat, she quickly ran to assist the male officer in apprehending the Black boy.
Despite the gross expression of bias by the police officers, perhaps the glimmer of hope can be found in the students who can spot the unfair treatment of a peer and are willing to do something about it. What you hear in the background of the video from the confrontation are other students yelling about the unfair treatment of the scene unfolding right before their eyes. The NAACP released a statement about “still another police action irrefutably showing the disparate treatment of African Americans in our police institutions.” The group called for both officers to be removed from the force pending an investigation. Others say, after the investigation is completed, the officers should be fired.
Whether watching scenes from Ukraine or here at home, we need to be consistent in our demand for humanity, raising up, shouting out and calling out the hypocrisy and discrimination we witness. It’s the only way we can express humanity fully and move to a better, fairer tomorrow.
Marissa Matusiak
Founder, Raise Black Voices