In the Russian State Media channel, RT documentary,
Black in the USSR
, released in 2020, Francine Villa, a Black woman, revealed how she faced brutal
racism
after moving to Russia. Villa, who has family ties in the country, was trying to escape the racist attacks she had to deal with in the United States. However, little did she know, her white neighbors in Moscow would inflict her irreversible mental and physical pain.
Francine, who is a
Black woman
, initially celebrated her move to Russia. Her great-grandfather moved there from Virginia in the 1930s to work as an agriculturist. She was also born in
Russia
and later moved to the United States at a young age. In the documentary, Villa revealed how she was racially profiled in the U.S. during a traumatizing encounter with police. She said that she was approaching them for help, but was instead ignored by the cops initially and then assaulted.
The encounter completely changed her life, and she decided to move back to her home country. “I feel free living in Russia, because in Russia, no matter what time it is, I can walk outside and I’m safe,” this is how she felt during her first year in Moscow.
However, everything changed mere five years later when her white neighbors attacked her. On her Instagram, Villa shared a video, which she can be seen still all bloodied from the assault. She claimed that the assailants, who were a white couple, began with racial slurs. Then, they blocked the entrance to her apartment, threatened to cut off her electricity, and toss out her belongings. She also added footage in her video, which showed how the assailants threw her baby’s stroller down the steps.
Villa said that both she and her toddler got bruises from the brutal attack. As reported by the
New York Post
, the woman has since taken the matter to the authorities, however, received little to no help so far.
A post shared by Francine Villa (@msfancy_007)
Her
video has since gone viral, with many people demanding justice on her behalf. One individual wrote, “We cannot be silent when a mother and her baby suffer because of intolerance.”
Another commented, “Russia is a multinational country. Protecting citizens is the state’s duty.” A third added, “It’s monstrous. If the legal authorities don’t do anything, many people will be deeply disappointed.”
However, some users also questioned her decision to move to Russia, which is an even more predominantly white country than the United States. Regardless of how the situation unfolded, this incident once again reflected on how Black people continue to face brutal racism even in the 21st century.
