Photo by George Pak
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and since then, many military observers have worried about the war escalating into another world war.
In fact, Sergei Lavrov, a top advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, warned months ago that the conflict in Ukraine could escalate into World War III and involve nuclear weapons.
Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, told Russian state TV that tensions between East and West are now worse than during the Cuban missile crisis at the height of the Cold War. The risk of nuclear war must not be underestimated, he warned.
If things rise to that level, don’t count on support from African Americans.
A survey found that African Americans showed more resistance to potential military engagement than other racial groups.
A September 2022 poll conducted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, composed entirely of African Americans, revealed that only 2 in 10 respondents supported sending U.S. military forces to support Ukraine– or Taiwan, if that country is invaded by China.
Meanwhile, a December poll by the Chicago Council revealed that roughly 3 in 10 Americans would support sending military forces to support Ukraine and Taiwan, Responsible Statecraft reported.
This outcome complies with earlier surveys. An April 2022 Quinnipiac University Poll found that African Americans were much less likely to support the U.S. doing “more to support Ukraine, even if it means increasing the risk of the United States getting into a war with Russia.” Just 11 percent of African American voters said they would risk war with Moscow, compared to 22 percent of white voters.
So why are African Americans hesitant about supporting an armed conflict? Experts say it has nothing to do with a “lack of patriotism or even skepticism about America’s armed forces,” according to the Carnegie Endowment. African Americans polled actually expressed either “very favorable” or “somewhat favorable” views of the U.S. military. The issue is the history of Black people in the military in the United States’ 20th- and 21st–century wars, when their efforts were underappreciated and did not result in fairer treatment in the U.S.
Studies by scholars such as Christopher Parker and Chad Williams point out that despite hopes of achieving racial equality through military service, African American veterans have sometimes been denied benefits, and still become victims of racial violence even though they have served the country.
Photo by George Pak : https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-military-uniform-holding-a-picture-7984347/
