The reality of safety for a Black refugee living in the US

By Tshishiku Henry
As told to Sheridan Block

Growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, America seemed like heaven on Earth. Everyone back home wanted to come to this country where everything we could need was readily available, money was everywhere, and war didn’t exist within its borders. But after living here for five years, my reality of America is very different. It’s not the safe place I needed or imagined it to be.

I fled my home country in 2009 because of ongoing conflict. I was afraid for my life. I escaped to Malawi, where I lived in a refugee camp for 10 years. Even though Malawi was a peaceful country, we feared for food scarcity and limited resources. I wanted complete safety and security for my wife and children. So when we were approved and came to the US in 2018, I was hopeful that we would finally have that.

Unfortunately, that’s not my reality.

Even though I fled active conflict and food scarcity, I still live in fear. It’s a different kind of fear that I didn’t experience back home. It’s a fear that resurfaces when I see videos of Tyre Nichols. It leaves me sad, shocked and confused. I don’t know who to trust. Most of all, this kind of fear makes me realize that there may be nowhere that I can feel completely safe.

As a refugee, safety is my highest expectation and priority. To refugees like me, the US is portrayed as a place of freedom, safety, and hope for a better future for ourselves and our families. We come here expecting to no longer live in fear, and to be able to tell our families that we will come back and see them at the end of the day. But I’ve discovered I have a new set of fears I have to deal with every day.

For newcomers, the reality of these different fears can be unnerving. Especially for those who’ve just arrived and don’t know where they are or what the cultural norms are. Some arrive not knowing how to speak or understand English. How can refugees and immigrants know the basic safety measures of this country?

And to be Black, there is an added layer of danger that I didn’t expect. Throughout American history, Black, Indigenous, and people of color are discriminated against, targeted, and even killed. Being a refugee and a Black man in the US, I feel there is no way for me to truly be at ease. I feel like I am constantly on guard.

America was supposed to be a place where I could be free from fear and sure of safety from the threats experienced back home. If safety is a basic human right for all, why don’t I have that here?

I find myself taking extra precautions every day to avoid being killed. I don’t attend large events, I am 100% respectful and compliant with police officers, I try to follow the laws so I minimize interactions with the police, I don’t associate with people who do illegal activities, I make sure I’m wearing visible clothing and can easily be identifiable so I’m not seen as a threat. I go to work, church and then back home.

I don’t know if or where I can feel absolutely safe, but I can do my best to create safe spaces. For me, my safe space is at home with my family. We have the comfort of each other and the walls around us. I also feel safe at work where I know the security measures in place and feel comfortable in the environment and people I work with. But when I travel between those two places, that’s when I feel most vulnerable.

As a Black immigrant, this is my reality in America. This is the best I can do in a country I expected more from.