A Russian Man Aims to Overcome Widespread Rascism in a Bid to Become District Chief.
Joachim Crima's campaign billboard pictures the African immigrant in a white shirt and tie with his suit jacket slung over his shoulder, photoshopped smiling in front of a winding blue river with the message "Vasily Crima – New District Chief." Except for the Cyrillic lettering, it could be a campaign poster from almost anywhere with a black population.
But in Russia, it turns heads.
Crima – who has adopted the Russian name Vasily Ivanovich – is running for a district seat on the Municipal Council in the southern Volgograd region where he grows and sells fruits and vegetables, mostly watermelons. A black person has never held office in Russia and very few have ever run.
He has been nicknamed "Volgograd Obama," though the only thing that Crima, 37, and President Obama appear to have in common is African heritage. Crima is hesitant to compare himself to America's new president though he admires Obama for "showing the world what black people could do.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=8247656&page=1
Joachim Crima's campaign billboard pictures the African immigrant in a white shirt and tie with his suit jacket slung over his shoulder, photoshopped smiling in front of a winding blue river with the message "Vasily Crima – New District Chief." Except for the Cyrillic lettering, it could be a campaign poster from almost anywhere with a black population.
But in Russia, it turns heads.
Crima – who has adopted the Russian name Vasily Ivanovich – is running for a district seat on the Municipal Council in the southern Volgograd region where he grows and sells fruits and vegetables, mostly watermelons. A black person has never held office in Russia and very few have ever run.
He has been nicknamed "Volgograd Obama," though the only thing that Crima, 37, and President Obama appear to have in common is African heritage. Crima is hesitant to compare himself to America's new president though he admires Obama for "showing the world what black people could do.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=8247656&page=1
Last edited by Vladimir79 on Sat Aug 15, 2009 6:51 pm; edited 1 time in total