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Correspondent Jessica Golloher visits a small village in central Russia to tell the story of what could be Russia’s first ever black candidate.

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KATY CLARK: Joaquim Crima was born in the West African country of Guinea Bissau 37 years ago.  Now, he lives in Central Russia and is running for office as a kind of district representative.  Crima’s the first black person to ever be a candidate in Russia.  Jessica Golloher reports.

JESSICA GOLLOHER:  Joaquim Crima is a naturalized Russian citizen.  He’s adopted a Russian name, calling himself Vasily Ivanovic.  And like any candidate for office, he knows how to talk the talk.  Here he is through a translator.

JOAQUIM CRIMA:  I became interested in politics because there were many electoral promises that were not fulfilled in the last election.  That’s why I’m interested to see what I can do to improve the conditions in my area.

GOLLOHER:  Local election officials say he faces an uphill battle.  They say most voters will only support him because they think his candidacy is a joke or because they want to protest against Russia’s dismal political system.  Russians are notoriously prejudiced; Africans living in Moscow and other cities routinely say they are insulted, harassed, and beaten.  Alexander Verkohvsky is head of the Sova Center for Information and Analysis in Moscow, a group dedicated to researching xenophobia and nationalism in Russia.  He gives Crima a lot of credit.

VERKOHVSKY:  It’s very seldom situation when a person of so far foreign a region tries to do that.

GOLLOHER:  And Verkohvsky expects some racist groups will attack his candidacy.  Crima says that if Russia is a democracy, then why shouldn’t he run?  Despite the odds, and what appear to be racially motivated threats against him, Crima says he’s not worried and has even turned some of the insults to his advantage.  He was quoted in a populist tabloid as saying he would “slave for the benefit of his constituents”.  Crima first came to Russia in the last days of the Soviet Union to study to become a teacher.  He currently earns a living selling fruit with his father-in-law.  For The World, I’m Jessica Golloher in Moscow.

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