Another Black Immigrant Silenced: The Story Of Djibril Diol And His Family

Hello everyone! This post is going to be different from the usual medical-related ones that I have done, but there is a news story that has dampened my mood. It’s about a young Black family who was killed by an arson attack.

For those who want the full story, click on this link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/19/us/denver-fire-arson.html

Basically, there was family with a man named Djibril Diol, his wife Adja Diol, their three-year-old daughter Kadidia, Djibril’s sister and her daughter who were all killed by an arson attack. They are all Senegalese and they migrated to America. Djibril was a bright young man who became a Civil Engineer. He loved his family and was a good Muslim. He and his family were cared for and loved by the Senegalese community in Colorado.

Djibril and Adja Diol, and their 3-year-old daughter Kadidia, and Hassan Diol and her infant daughter, Hawa Beye Credit: Denver Police Department

When you look at the neighborhood it took place at, it’s just shocking. It looks like a pretty affluent suburban area where middle class workers live with their families, their children go to good schools and generally just a safe environment. So, how on Earth could this have occurred?

When the police chief was asked if this was a hate crime, he responded with “At this time, we do not want to get tunnel-visioned into a motive.” (NY Times)

Wait…hold up. Pause. So, there is a Black Immigrant Muslim family living in a mostly white neighborhood area who gets killed by an arson attack and we do not want to get tunnel-visioned into a motive? What is that supposed to mean?

As a first-gen Guinean-American student, this story truly hits a nerve. Imagine you were living in West Africa and you heard of stories of how great America is. America this, America that. You would have thought it was a place where you would find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Glorious opportunities and numerous pathways for success.

Then you get to America, right? Slowly, all the ideas you had about it diminishes because, and I hate to be real, America is not a golden place as people make it seem to be. Opportunities do not fall on your lap and although it requires a hard work to be successful, some people generally have more connections and resources than others. It is especially difficult for immigrants who have to deal with xenophobia from people who feel entitled to have been born here. Not to mention dealing with racism, sexism (if you are a woman), and religious discrimination like Islamophobia.

But one thing about Immigrants and first-generation Americans is that we are very hardworking and determined. For the one yes that every one of us has received, there have been millions of no’s behind it, a lot of them based on where we came from and who we are. But alas, we finally reach the pinnacle of success and the majority does not like that at all.

I hate to jump to conclusions, but this was a planned hate-crime attack. Djibril was a young successful BLACK MUSLIM man and some people did not like that. Especially in Trump’s America. Like c’mon. None of his neighbors were targeted. None of them (from what I saw) are Black and Muslim. It does not take some genius to put two and two together.

The three masked criminals behind all of this, New York Times

It just baffles me that people could come and burn down someone’s home to kill them just because of what they look like. In America, a country that claims to embrace diversity and inclusion with open arms, something like this happens. Honestly and truly sickening. I just cannot believe that our society has come to this.

Shame on the people who did this. But if this was a means of you silencing those of us who come from diverse backgrounds and want a successful life in America, then you have done the complete opposite. This actually motivates me to continue to pursue my education and encourage those of underrepresented minority backgrounds to do so. You may think that people like Djibril and myself do not belong in this country, but we do, just as much and even more than you do. Djibril was a positive light that you have tried to extinguish but just know that he will and always will keep shining. Always.

Credit: Colorado State University. A handsome, bright young man whose life was taken too soon.

I truly pray that Djibil and his family are granted the highest place in Paradise, Ameen. I also pray that his family heals from the trauma that they had to endure. May his legacy not be left in vain. We have a long way to go in order to combat the racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia etc that we have in this country and this is an example. I hope this is the last time that I hear something like this, and I will continue to use my voice and protest until it is and change occurs.