Grand Rapids police opened fire, shocking the African immigrant community

“It’s the same thing over and over again, to show I have nothing against them, whether you’re black or African,” he said. Patrick Lyoya and realized that while they had come to this country for the American dream, they had, in fact, inherited the reality of black Americans, which has a complicated racial history that many Africans still struggle with. easy to understand.

Lyoya, 26 years old, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has shot in the back of the head by a Grand Rapids cop on April 4 after he was pulled over because his license plate didn’t match his car’s. After a while of struggle, cadres shoot him when he is face to face On the ground. Lyoya’s funeral is scheduled to take place on Friday, with Father Al Sharpton, host of MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation,” giving a eulogy.

“Patrick’s death has certainly shaken the community. Many of us continue to struggle with it,” said Pastor Kizombo Kalumbula, a pastor at Tabernacle Community Church in Grand Rapids who is also a voice for the African community.

“They said it was supposed to be a safe land, and that’s why the resettlement was happening here, but back then, I don’t think many people in the community are feeling safe.” , said Kalumbula, an immigrant from the Democratic Republic. of the Congo over 25 years ago.

Grand Rapids is home to a vibrant African immigrant community, although its exact size is not known as the city does not divide its immigrant population by country – a point of frustration for many community members who feel they should be counted separately. Based on Census data for 2020The population of African descent in Kent County, including Grand Rapids, is estimated at 6,106.

Many came here as immigrants to pursue further studies or work, while others were resettled in the US after having spent years in refugee camps after they fled. flee war-torn countries, like Congo. Lyoya’s family fled the Congo in 2014 in search of a safer life. Patrick is the eldest in a family of six children.

African immigrants are often grateful to be in the US and revere the country that gave them another chance, Kalumbula said. But after they arrived, they faced a new set of obstacles, he said.

About a week after Lyoya’s death, Mirabel Umenei stood before the Grand Rapids City Council and said they were not doing enough to support African immigrants who were thrown into a complex racial environment they did not. know anything about it.

“We had to learn very quickly what it means to be black in America,” Umenei, director of the Africa Collaborative Network in Grand Rapids, told the council. Umenei’s organization advocates improving the lives of the African-American immigrant community in Western Michigan.

Umenei immigrated from Cameroon in 2012.

“We came here without that knowledge, that historical knowledge, without a deep understanding of how many racial barriers were in front of us and how ingrained they were,” said Umenei. speak.

“We sell us this perfect American dream, but they don’t tell you the truth, which is that you’ve just put yourself in a dark hole,” she said, referring to systemic racism. aggressive policies and practices in Black communities.

Lyoya’s killing has caused fear and controversy in the community over how to keep her children safe, Umenei said. In many cases, it has found itself inadequately equipped.

“We deal with the same racial invasions that black Americans have dealt with for generations without fully understanding the underpinnings of that experience,” she said.

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