President Obama Makes Historic Visit to Russia, A Place Where Blacks, Other People of Color Live in Fear

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President Barack Obama has landed in Russia and will hold talks at the Kremlin, which is a historical feat, but there is another facet that has not been explored in great detail -- the anti-immigrant sentiment that runs deep. I must admit that Russia doesn't actually pop in my mind as a place to visit, much less emigrate to, but I was saddened to learn that many Russians are still not tolerant of ethnic diversity. Blacks and other minorities in Russia have to lead low-profile lives to avoid danger. It is a bittersweet moment to see the world's most powerful leader, a black man, being treated with such pomp and circumstance in a place that has been so cold and unkind to people of color.

According to Reuters, the advice to new African students, who opt to get an education in Moscow because it's cheaper than at a Western European university, is simple -- "don't travel on the metro at night, avoid all travel on the metro during football matches and only go to nightclubs in groups." As you would expect, "the streets of Moscow are filled with white, ethnic Russian faces, with a few darker skinned people from the ex-Soviet states in Central Asia and the Caucasus, who mainly cook, clean and work on building sites." A black face is a rarity and stands out like a sore thumb. A walking target, if you will.

Alexander Verkhovsky from the SOVA Center, a non-government organization that measures racist attacks in Russia, said the country had a serious problem."There is a higher level of racist violence here than in other parts of Europe," he said.

"The risk of arrest is much lower."Preliminary data from the SOVA Center showed 102 people died in racist attacks in Russia last year and 441 people were injured. Out of that figure, two blacks died and 22 were injured. Most of the attacks are aimed at the thousands of people from Central Asia and the Caucasus working in Russia because they are far more numerous.

"But black people are a very high-risk group and they usually avoid using the metro," Verkhovsky said. Source: Reuters

In May 2006, Amnesty International reported that racist killings in Russia were "out of control" and at least 28 people were murdered in 2005. In 2006, AI registered 252 victims of racist crimes, of which 21 died. In February 2007, then-President Vladimir Putin asked the Federal Security Service to fight against racism, unfortunately, it was reported that hate crimes still increased. Amnesty International criticize Russian police for not doing enough to combat racist crimes, and for often ignoring reports from civilians about threats and crimes.

Sadly, though it seems that things are getting better and attitudes are softening, most Africans head for home once they have completed their education. It is very difficult for them to get jobs there. So, though we have some isolated problems with racism in the United States, I have to aver that the United States of America is one of the best places to live and work.

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