The Peace Corps Gets Dragged For Giving Questionable Advice To Black Volunteers In Ukraine

As Blavity has previously reported, the ongoing crisis in Ukraine has revealed uncomfortable racism, with Black people fleeing the country facing discrimination in the evacuation efforts and blatant discrimination between white and non-white refugees from the Russian invasion. Despite these ugly incidents, Black people have been operating at the forefront of high-level U.S. efforts to respond to Russian aggression against the country. Now, those looking to do humanitarian work in the country are finding shocking counterproductive advice from the Peace Corps for potential Black volunteers.

The Peace Corps give shockingly casual warnings about racism in Ukraine.

The Atlantic Black Star reports that Black people reading the Peace Corps volunteer page for Ukraine were shocked by the warnings and advice given by the organization for Black volunteers in the country. “It is not uncommon for Ukrainians to refer to African-Americans as “[N-Word],” the Peace Corps website warns, adding that “volunteers of color may be called ‘a monkey’ or may see children’s games with Blackface.”

The organization’s Ukraine page gives additional warnings for LGBTQ+ volunteers, women, people with disabilities and volunteers of various religious faiths as well. But it’s the advice to Black Volunteers — separated into a distinct section from other volunteers of color — that has caused a stir online.

Twitter users are understandably horrified by reports of racism from Ukraine.

The Peace Corps is currently not accepting volunteers to go to Ukraine, and the advice on its website appears to have been there for some time. It was not until recently, however, that the warning for Black volunteers gained widespread attention. A Twitter user named Brotha Maady drew attention to the questionable advice in late March with a post that has since been retweeted more than 8,000 times.

As noted on the Peace Corps page, the acknowledgment of racism in Ukraine is meant to inform volunteers, not to excuse abusive treatment. “Being aware of the history of dehumanization for people of African descent may help inform where this comes from,” the Peace Corps says in a long disclaimer, adding that “it does not justify it.”

Despite these qualifying statements, several Black Twitter users expressed outrage over the advice and the apparent casual racism present in Ukraine.

Ahmed Kaballo was blunt in his advice to Black people in light of these warnings: “Don’t join U.S. Peace Corps!” and “Don’t go to Ukraine!” he tweeted.

For some, support for Ukraine outweighs the concerns for racism.

Some Twitter users have expressed hope that accounts of racism were coming from ignorance rather than hatred.

Last month, Fox 2 Detroit reported on the story of M. Dujon Johnson, a 62-year-old doctor and Army veteran who had served in the Peace Corps in Ukraine and was now returning. Johnson, who helped train university professors and NATO troops in Ukraine between 2018 and 2020, said that “I feel like I was called” to return and participate in the fight against Russian troops. Although the Black doctor does not directly speak about racism in Ukraine, his willingness to go back and fight for the country implies solidarity that has survived any racist encounters he may have had.

Journalist Terrell Jermaine Starr is another Black former Peace Corps volunteer who has been heavily involved in Ukraine since the war began. Starr, an expert on the former Soviet Union who extensively covered the early weeks of the war from Ukraine, has in the past spoken and written about the racism that he and other Black people have experienced in Ukraine. But he also elected to stay in Ukraine as the Russian attack was about to begin, determined to both report on the war and assist civilians attempting to escape or survive. “I will not leave Ukraine or my friends,” Starr tweeted in late February.

Overall, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has emerged as a divisive issue for Black people in the U.S. and around the world. The accounts of racism detailed by the Peace Corps have added to the hesitancy of some Black people to join pro-Ukrainian efforts, while the experiences of people like Johnson and Starr speak to enduring solidarity from some Black people who have volunteered in the country. With no signs that the war will end in the immediate future, the debates over Ukraine, anti-Black racism and the proper response to the growing humanitarian tragedy will continue.