“This Is NOT Who We Are”: Anti-Black Migration, Immigration, and Mobility

Lassana Cisse Souleyman and Ahmaud Arbery lived separate lives on two continents, but they succumbed to the same fate. Souleyman was an Ivorian man residing in Malta with his family; Arbery was an American man living in Brunswick, Georgia. News reports state Souleyman was known for checking on his fellow migrants after his factory shifts; Arbery was also a kind soul, known for taking exercise runs through his neighborhood. Hate-filled, racist men turned their environment into hunting grounds and perceived human beings as disposable prey. As prey upon a hunting ground, they sought out, stalked, and killed Souleyman and Arbery in the communities where they built their homes, lived, and worked. As word spread of the murders, government officials and political pundits suggested, “This is not who we are.” This suggestion comes as an assuagement of anger, fear, and disbelief. However, it falls flat when considering the history and backfires as knowledge about the murderers came to light.