Aside from Kenyan students who we empathize with, African nationals in Ukraine, in effort to leave the country have been facing what they say is racism, especially when it comes to priority given at the boarder when boarding transportation to Poland.

An African medical student, Korrine Sky, said in a video she posted on social media “There’s been a lot of segregation and racism. But the people have managed to actually get to the passport control. It seems like there’s a hierarchy of Ukrainians first, Indians second, Africans last. So there has been a lot of segregation.”

Issues such as racism always seem to crop up when there is a situation that creates tension such as war.

We see the real side of those around us. Do they care or have they hated us all the while. War, crime etc. are avenues that reveal what people really feel about one another.

When facing tension, harsh conditions and stringent guidelines, the human mind automatically looks at what is absolutely important to it. If skin colour is a method you use to see who is more important when decision making, believe me it will show when the time is right.

There has always been a grapple with race and class in humanity, but you would think that in a time of war and insecurity like in Ukraine, that the human heart of those in charge and at the front line would have some sort of mercy? I mean, isn’t there a way to control a large group of people with fairness? I am sure there is more than just the method of blatant race segregation, which a person in authority can use to organize queues of human beings to get to safety.

It is sad that every time humanity is faced with catastrophe, we never learn love, we keep repeating the same mistakes. When will we get over it? The earth is full of different people and there is nothing we can do about it…. But live peaceably with one another!

If we ever, on an individual level, find ourselves in a position of power, ours should not be to start looking for our favorites, but to do the work well, in fairness and justice, showing mercy to the weak and firmness to the unruly.

The bible affirms: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28