Publication Date
12-1-2022
Abstract
Amid the horror of the Russia-Ukraine war, Black refugees from Ukraine have suffered multiple traumas: The trauma of war and the trauma of anti-blackness. The world caught a glimpse of this via social media and news reports that African people were physically blocked from boarding trains and buses by Ukrainian officials, as well as neighboring countries denied entry to people who were not “Ukrainian.” These double traumas have undoubtedly placed Black refugees in Ukraine among the most vulnerable group of people in this humanitarian crisis. However, despite the psycho-political suffering Black refugees have experienced during the Russia-Ukraine war, their voices, experiences, and needs have been erased from the global conversation. This qualitative paper explores African and African-descent international students’ exposure to psycho-political suffering associated with Russian-Ukraine war. This paper also serves as a call to action for organizations, mental health providers, and advocates to acknowledge the unique and intersectional experiences of Black refugees from Ukraine and provides culturally-responsive recommendations to promote their psycho-political well-being.
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