My Black skin and African-style braids attracted the curious stares of several Russian workers and guests standing in the lobby of The President’s hotel in Moscow. The staff member handling my check-out was no exception.
“I’m really curious to know how they make those braids,” she wondered aloud in her native tongue. One of her colleagues knowingly replied, “Oh, someone does it for them when they’re a child and then they keep it like that for the rest of their lives.”
This exchange generated a mixture of emotions in me: amusement at her attempt to sound knowledgeable; outrage at the outright lie; and a desire to set her straight. I could act on only of these feelings. So, in Russian and with a slight smile I said, “Actually, I change this style every two to three months.”
After the initial gasp of surprise, the two women eagerly entered into conversation with me. They laughed heartily at their previous statement and jumped at the opportunity to ask me some more questions. I responded factually and cordially, and at their request even let them get a closer look at my hair.
Colleagues, family and friends often ask me, “What’s it like for a Black person in Russia? Is there racism there?”
In my six years as a student at a Russian university I never received lower grades because of the color of my skin. Then and during subsequent visits over the last three years, I don’t recall having been refused a service, denied access, or in anyway segregated because of my skin color. I have not experienced institutional racism in Russia.
As the above experience shows, however, travel, work and life for a Black person in Russia is not without its challenges.
