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On February 4, 1999, 23-year-old Guinean immigrant Amadou Diallo was standing in the doorway of his apartment in the Bronx when four plainclothes police officers arrived, allegedly patrolling for a rape suspect.
Wielding only a wallet and a pager, the last thing Diallo heard was 41 shots ringing in the air. He was killed instantly.
Diallo had come to the U.S. in pursuit of the “American Dream,” and had loved to play Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A.” on repeat.
And they used that against him in court.
Former officer Sean Carroll testified that he shot because Diallo was “acting suspiciously” – never once considering he belonged in the building.
And when it was revealed that Diallo had discrepancies in his immigration application, Carroll’s lawyer used that to argue that he caused his own shooting – by running from police in fear of them finding out his immigration status.
All four officers involved were acquitted, including Kenneth Boss – who received a promotion in 2015!
The "Americans" behind Diallo’s American Dream not only killed him and denied him justice, but blamed him for his own shooting. Today, the American Dream still doesn't exist for Black people. In fact, that dream is built on the backs of our deaths!