Black Americans and Ukrainians: Unexpected Parallels – with Terrell Jermaine Starr

Explaining Ukraine

Terrell Jermaine Starr is a Black American journalist who spends much of his time in Ukraine. He knows the country intimately. He also recognizes the striking parallels between the experiences of Ukrainians and Black Americans in the United States. For centuries, both groups have endured systemic violence and humiliation—sometimes overt, sometimes hidden—that have pushed them into subordinate roles within societies dominated by others. In this episode, we explore these shared struggles and work toward fostering a deeper understanding between the two communities. Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media outlet about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld and the president of PEN Ukraine. We are recording this conversation during the Lviv Media Forum, in May 2025 in Lviv, the Western part of Ukraine. You can support our work at: https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld. Your support is vital, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also support our volunteer trips to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we provide aid to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: [email protected].