Where is Amadou Diallo’s mother now? Updates on Kadiatou after Netflix’s Trial By Media Tue 12 May 2020 17:49 Eve Edwards
Carter Sullivan Trial By Media is Netflix’s latest endeavour in the world of true crime documentaries.
The six-part docuseries, created by the team behind Abducted in Plain Sight and Amanda Knox, plants a spotlight on criminal cases in America which were largely sensationalised or interfered with by the press and public.
One of the most shocking cases featured in the series is ’41 Shots’. The episode explores the murder of Amadou Diallo, who was shot 41 times by New York Police Department officers, and the outcry of racial prejudice and police brutality that followed.
Amadou’s mother, Kadiatou Diallo, was a leading figure in the episode. After Amadou’s death, Kadiatou defended her son from the press and in court and has gone on to become an influential campaigner in America.
So where is Kadiatou Diallo now? Find out more about Amadou’s mother and her work here.
Amadou Diallo’s case on Trial By Media
Amadou Diallo was killed in the foyer of a Bronx apartment building by four NYPD officers who had been searching for a suspect in a rape case.
They believed Amadou, who was 23 at the time, to be the suspect in question and thought he was reaching for a gun, when in fact he was reaching for his wallet. Amadou was shot by the police officers in question 41 times.
Amadou Diallo’s death led to numerous protests in the city.
- SEE ALSO: Parallels between Bernhard Goetz’s Trial By Media case and Joker
Who is Amadou Diallo’s mother?
- Kadiatou Diallo
Amadou’s mother is Kadiatou Diallo, an author, social activist and a public speaker. She is married to Saikou Diallo. The family are from Guinea but they raised their four children in a variety of countries such as Liberia, Togo, Bangkok, Singapore and Thailand.
Kadiatou was born in Guinea in 1959, making her now around 61 years old. She is the granddaughter of a scholar and Imam.
Out of all her siblings, Kadiatou was the only to have an arranged marriage and was wed to Saikou when she was just 13 years old. Kadiatou had Amadou when she was 16. He was born in Liberia on September 2nd, 1975. Kadiatou’s other children are Laoura (known as “Lara”), Ibrahim, and Abdoul.
Kadiatou Diallo takes on New York
When Kadiatou heard of Amadou’s murder on February 4th, 1999, she went to New York to present a true picture of her son to the media and public. She then toured the country with the Reverend Al Sharpton, decrying police brutality.
Ever since Amadou’s death, Kadiatou has become a symbol of the struggle against police brutality and racial profiling in the United States. Many hail Kadiatou as the precursor to the Black Lives Matter movement founded in 2013.
Not long after Amadou’s murder, Kadiatou founded The Amadou Diallo Foundation, Inc. and she is still the foundation’s President to this day. Former New York City Mayor David Dinkins is the foundation’s chairman.
- MURDER TO MERCY: Who is Cyntoia Brown’s biological mother?
Where is Kadiatou Diallo now?
It is reported that Kadiatou divides her time between New York and Maryland, where her three younger children live.
Kadiatou has written successful books such as My Heart Will Cross This Ocean – My Story, My Son, Amadou (2004) which won the Christopher Award.
She continues her work with the foundation and as a mentor to the Amadou Diallo Scholars.
WATCH TRIAL BY MEDIA ON NETFLIX NOW
