Thoughts From Amanda: Black Students In Ukraine

Perspective is everything. As we watch the events in Ukraine unfold it is no surprise that folks around the world are processing and relating to it differently. I don’t want to see war anywhere. Rarely, if ever, has war been fought on equal grounds and consistently it ends up being a display of ego and greed at the expense of souls.

In the case of Ukraine and Russia, seeing African students being caught in the middle of this white on white assault and not only being the subject of racism but having several individuals tell me that my support of them is a lack of solidarity for Ukraine, was a clear demonstration of differing perspective.

I am always going to prioritize Black folks because if we don’t who will? Some have said, “The problem is that they are prioritizing their own and that’s what we should be doing.” I know it may seem a foolhardy POV but I simply refuse to use the model of oppressors as a method for the destruction of their systems.

There is also the perspective that I am, “clout chasing for likes by speaking on racism”.

LOL.

Them folks are new here. Ultimately, we do not know what the next series events may hold. Uncertainty has become a commonality in the last 2 years and so, all we can really do while we broaden, inform, and align our perspectives is do like I heard my girl, Lauren London say the other day, and “move with the river, instead of fighting the rocks.”

-AS