20/07/2024
STATEMENT Justice for William Chedjou Noubissi
Rest in Peace William Chedjou Noubissi –
Confronting Anti-Black Violence and Racism in Germany
On July 11, 2024, we tragically and brutally lost our brother William Chedjou Noubissi — a son, husband, father of two, and friend within and beyond the Cameroonian Community Diaspora — due to a hateful and toxic act of violence in Berlin Gesundbrunnen.
The incredibly banal reason was a dispute over a parking space!
Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the bereaved family and friends who now carry the burden of this incomprehensible and inhuman killing.
The killer, a racialized person, coldbloodedly stabbed an unarmed Black man to death out of base motives. Not only did the killer commit this heinous act, but neither he nor his family called the ambulance or assisted William — instead, they even tried to escape from the crime scene.
This blatant violence strongly illustrates that in the racist hierarchy, the lives of people of African descent are too often considered the lowest.
For us as people of African descent, it is shocking but not exceptionally surprising in a society where anti-Black racism is a general baseline that is not admitted but downplayed and dismissed. From all the intersections we know and experience we have with discrimination in our daily lives, the Black racialization is one of the strongest biases throughout all social classes and entities. Yet, its existence and gravity are widely and ignorantly denied.
More importantly, it is not only a matter of White supremacy to be racist against Black people. According to history and the hierarchy of racist oppression, anti-Black racism is an omnipresent form of discrimination all over the globe in the context of slavery, colonial and neo-colonial exploitation, as well as implicit biases and institutional routines. The constructed supremacy over and the othering of Black people is prevalent among almost all peer groups with non-Black identities — even among other migrant communities that are themselves subjected to racist discrimination.
We have to thoroughly address these issues once and for all!
The construct of racism has been perpetuated to this day by systemically deploying a privilege hierarchy ladder that systematically devalues Black lives. This entrenched system ensures that anti-Black racism remains deeply embedded in societal structures, influencing how Black individuals are perceived and treated with implicit and explicit bias.
The violence of silence across all institutions in Germany — state authorities, institutions, politicians and the media — speaks volumes.
Why are these entities silent in the face of such blatant racism and violence?
Their silence perpetuates the systemic discrimination and violence against Black people, making them complicit in the ongoing injustice. The media’s disrespectful portrayal of William as "Der Pizzafahrer" (The Pizza Delivery Man) rather than acknowledging him as a human being, a father, and a community member, is a clear example of this contempt and dehumanization. The problem cannot be reduced to the actual acts of physical or psychological violence against Black people but continues with inappropriate acknowledgment, prosecution, litigation, and statistical registration of anti-Black racism as a distinct entity of crime.
The repeating patterns of impunity are evident in cases such as "Justice for Daniel," "Justice for Valerie", "Justice for Mouhamed" or the murder of Oury Jalloh where despite clear perpetrators, there has still been no appropriate or reasonable prosecution. The way anti-Black racism is (not) dealt with in media, politics, institutions and authorities is an essential root cause and expression of contempt and ignorance that must be tackled and changed after all.
We condemn the repressive attitude of the Berlin police against the mourning of traumatized people and the self-organized protest of concerned Black people on the evening of the killing at Böttgerstraße, which were followed by stereotypical media reports. Sensitivity and respect were needed instead of self-centered attitudes of domination and harassment.
We thank our communities that have swiftly and efficiently organized a crisis response and intervention to support the family, especially William’s two little children and their mother. Your efforts are a testament to our strength and unity in times of need.
We call on our Black communities in Germany to continue to organize support for and show solidarity with the family of William Chedjou Noubissi in this time of mourning and grief. Nobody will take care of our issues if we are not capable of doing so ourselves in unity. Spread the word of the criminal killing, keep up honoring his memory, donate to the GoFundMe—campaign (https://www.gofundme.com/f/william-chedjou-noubissi-decider-le-11072024-a-berlin/donate?source=btn_donate) and promote others to do so as well.
We demand that the authorities in Berlin enforce due clarification and prosecution in all aspects of the case, including the time frame for the ambulance to arrive for professional medical care.
We demand statistical data evaluations on the extent of anti-Black assaults and discriminatory incidents in Berlin and Germany, as well as evaluations of anti-discrimination measures to protect the rights and dignity of Black people.
Rather than implementing racial profiling measures that disproportionately target Black individuals, we call for increased safety measures to protect Black people who face violent attacks at disproportionate rates.
Additionally, we call for the amplification of efforts to highlight historical anti-Black crimes and the significant contributions of Black people and African countries to the development, prosperity, progress, and civilization of Europe and the world in education and media. This is essential to counteract widespread stereotypical biases against Black and African people effectively.
Furthermore, we demand that funds be reallocated from policing budgets to Black-led community initiatives. It is time to invest in programs that uplift and empower our communities rather than perpetuate cycles of violence and oppression.
Let us channel our grief into a force for change.
Let us ensure that William’s death is not in vain by continuing our relentless pursuit of justice — not only in his case but for all Black lives that have been affected by similar tragedies.
We must organize and fight against impunity and the systems that perpetuate violence against us. It is time for every person of African descent to stand up and speak out for justice.
In solidarity, we stand committed to the struggle for dignity and justice for all Black lives.
We will organize, we will not falter, and we will ensure justice and equality for every Black life, here in Germany and around the world.
Rest in peace, William!
Your community remembers you, honors you, and will tirelessly seek justice for you. Your life mattered, and we will continue to fight to ensure the world knows and acts on this truth.
July 20th 2024
Black Community Coalition for Justice & Self-Defence
