Lassana Cisse – a brave man, a kind soul... and an important lesson. This summer the headlines have been dominated by stories about environmental destruction, corruption and the near-death of the Opposition.

With all this to take in, one can understand how one of the most horrific crimes in recent memory has failed to spark any dearly needed public debate about what kind of a people we choose to be.

On April 6, Cisse, an Ivorian national who was said to be returning from aiding fellow migrants in Ħal Far, was gunned down. Two soldiers have since been arrested on suspicion of his murder.

Last Sunday, his makeshift memorial, located at Triq il-Ġebel, Birżebbuġa – created by his friends and family – was found destroyed.

While this story was not ignored by the media, it wasn’t until I began writing this article that I learned the name of the man whose life had been claimed in that attack and whose memorial was vandalised.

Now I realise that this is a problem.

One of the most depressingly effective tactics used by those who will argue against taking in migrants is to dehumanise and stereotype them.

They paint a picture that tends to make them look like an army of nameless invaders, all with the same violent beliefs and tendencies, coming to wreak havoc on our island.

We need to realise that this country, regardless of sunshine or ‘surplus’, has a dark side

Well, this man had a face and a name, and that name was Lassana Cisse. He was unique and altruistic. The only thing he had in common with most other African migrants was his tortured past and the colour of his skin, which ultimately led to his death.

He was a person like the rest of us, a person who fought and risked his life to get to Malta to secure a better life for himself, as opposed to being born into this life like those of us more fortunate.

Unlike most of those calling for migrants to be shipped back on the very boats on which they came, along the same waters in which many of their friends and family had drowned, Lassana had to rebuild everything.

The Maltese are no strangers to these dangers. Many of our ancestors were forced to make the same leap of faith long ago, only to be subject to similar hatred and marginalisation.

Many Maltese still remember being under British rule and not enjoying many of the freedoms we take for granted today.

It is ironic that we, a people whose history is marred by the same tragedy that made people like Lassana choose to flee their own countries, would even think of turning him away.

It was only through the blood, sweat and sacrifice of those who came before us that we can enjoy the basic freedoms we have today. This sacrifice, however, seems to have been forgotten.

We need to realise that this country, regardless of sunshine or financial surplus, has a dark side that runs much deeper than the aforementioned ignorance and short-sightedness of which we are undeniably to blame. Once we realise this, we then need to confront this darkness and actively change our attitude towards those whom we might consider different.

The performance of Norman Lowell’s far-right Imperium Europa in the European elections, as well as some of the other sickening responses to Lassana’s murder, show that such hateful rhetoric is alive and well among us.

Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not does not negate the fact that racism is so deeply embedded in our daily lives and casual conversation that we may have become numb to many of its forms and effects.

There will never be a perfect solution that unites all of us regardless of our differences. Some people are simply not open or capable of such change. However, this does not mean there is nothing we can do.

I think it’s high time that we start mentioning migrants by name when things like this happen to remind us all that those drowning at sea, being racially abused or physically targeted are people with names and stories.

With all this in mind, I could think of no better place to start than by acknowledging  Lassana Cisse – the man who fled violence to come to Malta, helped those struggling with him and was killed because of the colour of his skin.

I learned Lassana Cisse’s name, story and the lessons that his untimely death brought with it.

These are details and lessons that I arguably should have known all along, and I believe it’s time the rest of us learn them too.

Timmy Camilleri is a 17-year-old student.