Summary

"It took several days for Nigerian student, Alexander Somto Orah, to reach the Poland border from Kyiv where he attended university. Orah says he and others faced discrimination along the way and had to plead with armed guards not to shoot. (March 6) — Associated Press Alexander Somto Orah's experience has not been unique. While an enormous flow of Ukrainian refugees has been embraced by European nations such as Poland and Germany, many non-Ukrainians in Ukraine have had a harder time leaving the country, including many reports of citizens of African countries removed from buses or trains out of the country or being stopped at the border. Directions : Watch Orah's account of his experience, discuss the following questions, then research other reports of experiences similar to Orah's.

Five Facts

Discussion questions using the Journalist’s Five Ws plus an H:

• Who is Alexander Somto Orah? Who else is mentioned in the story?


• What obstacles did Orah and other African, Indian and Middle Eastern-born people living in Ukraine face while trying to flee that country?


• Where does the story take place?


• When did these events occur?


• Why did the the border patrol not want to let Orah and other refugees from African, the Middle East and India pass?


• How do you think the Associated Press got this video clip? How do you Polish and Ukrainian border patrol officials would respond to this video?

Focus Questions

"I have never experienced war." Why do you think Orah might want to make it clear to the audience that he had never before been in a war before?

See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?

Media literacy :

Why do you think NewsHour Classroom used lightly edited but mostly raw footage to demonstrate the challenges faced by African refugees in Ukraine fleeing for safety?

How do you feel after watching this video? What questions do you have? How could you research more background as to why the border patrol refused to let Orah and other Black and brown refugees enter into safety?

It is understandable to feel upset because of events in Ukraine, particularly after hearing Orah's story, knowing the racism he and other migrants have faced.  Who are some people you can talk with at school and outside school? If you are not sure, check with your teacher.

For More

How common are experiences like Orah's? Read the following NewsHour article below, then discuss as a group how to best find credible accounts of other border experiences. Discuss: How can you judge the credibility of these accounts?