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
862 .. 5030
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
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15001 WOODWARD AVE UE
HIGHLAND PARK, H 48203
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