Why Matthew Ajibade’s Killing Deserves Attention
He was mentally ill and died for it
The issue of a black man who died while in police custody at the beginning of 2015, haunted me from the moment it appeared on my radar.
The headlines from The Daily Beast and The Guardian (US) labeled him as a “Georgia man”.
Like so many before him — he had fallen into the deceitful hands of racist jailers.
He was actually Nigerian.
Matthew Ajibade — like so many before him — came to America to seek a better life.
A recent study shows that Nigerians are the most educated group of immigrants in the U.S.
Despite encompassing a tiny fraction of the U.S. population — at least 37 percent of Nigerians have bachelor’s degrees and 17 percent boast master’s degrees — while 4 percent hold doctorates.
Even White Americans who are considered the elite race can’t compete.
Nigerians are notoriously ambitious. This is because we simply have a lot more to lose if we don’t succeed.
Our families depend on the realization of our hopes and dreams. We are required to garner high paying professional jobs so that we can contribute to the…
