Conversing ·ith a Blae
ussian over barbecue ribs
B,TedJ
As' agreed, I met Yelena
Khanga that sultry evening
the United States Infor-
ion Agency in soutb
we t Wasbington. Sbe bad
gone t ere to get bel p for
her employer, the Moscow
News, one of tbe Soviet
Union's more progressive
_ newspaper.
A fire Jast Febru ry
destroyed the .newspaper's
office building, and tbe 28-
year old blac Soviet jour
nalist was in town 100 ing
for money an subscribers
to finance the 'rebuilding.
Mutu I friends bad lerted
me to ber visit, and a dozen
or so phone calls had con
firmed this evening meet
ing.
Yelena came off the
elevator in a rush, caugbt
the momentum of my wave,
and walked briskly over
and identifies herself, con
fident that ber choice was
tbe right one. Just above
five feel in height, she was
dressed in a blac .and
wbite business suit, in
black heels nd carried a
m tching shoulder bag. Her
English was pretty good, _
under tandable, but some
wbat forma_lIy spoken with
a barsh ccent,
This was Yelena s
second visit to the states. I
had missed her on the first,
when she came for a three
month stay as a Soviet par
ticipant in a journ-alists'
exchange in November
1987. Like many others, I
was anxious to know more
about (his young woman,
the grandda ugh ter of an
American � interracial
couple wbo had emigrated
to the Soviet Union in
1931.
Last October, I met
Yelena's motber, Lily
Golden, who was also bom
in Russi , had earaed a doc
toral degree in bistory and
had married Yelena's
father, a Tanzanian govern
ment minister wbo was
kill�d in a coup in the
1960's. M�. Golden was
here last year to explore her
family's roots and' to dis
cuss bow Blac s lived in
tile Soviet Union.
Well, now tbat I bad met
Yelena, and knowing tbat
be didn't need a tour of tbe
city, I suggested perhap a
drin or a bite somewbere
might lead to better conver
sation.
I t was the first time she
flashed that broad smile,
"Know where we can get
some ribs? I bave heard so
much about them."
"You mean ribs as in ribs
in soul food, and candied
yams, and all," I teased. "I
t ink I migbt know a
place."
As we approacbed tbe -
Florida Avenue Grill,
Yelena surveyed tbe area
critically, king in repor
torial tyle if she was in J
part of Washington's Black
community. Sbe laughed at
the play of a group of
children, informing me tbat
he loved children, wa un
married, althougb tbere
was "someone special", td
th t she bad been on - tbe
staff of tbe Moscow New'
for six years.
Later, wben tbe waiter
brought a plate- overflow
ing with ribs, candied yams -
and collar greens, she
_gasped, "all for me?", and
then laugbing asked for the
. correct pronounciation of
eacb food "so I can take
8300 GRATIOT
571-6690
20050.LIVERNOIS AVE
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back and tell wbat I bad."
Still later, sbe ondered
if s e could open "a res
tl rant like tbi i Mos
co ." Sbe w ure that the
Bllcks Ind African would
love it, but tben "it migbt
have to be too expensive
becau� of the bardship of
ge-tting things."
Yelena said there was a
smlll community of Black
ci tizens and a larger com-
munity of African and
AsiaD students in Moscow.
"We get along fine, and
there's respect among u
all. even tbougb times are
hard," sbe explained.
She enjoyed ber wor at
tbe Moscow New t observ-
. iog that ber visits to this
country bad enabled her
improve her stories .about
foreigners who come to her
Continued on P. e 10
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VOTE AUGUST 7
TORETAI
MATIJE CARTER CITY CLERK
Paid for by Carter for City a.k Commit •
239 Ptai � P.t<. 48203. Phone: 866-6509
OPTICAL DEPARTMENT
SEARS, ROEBUCK & CO
15001 WOODWARD AVE UE
HIGHLAND PARK, H 48203
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