With hopes of getting an education and living a more prosperous life, Amadou Diallo left the hardships of his homeland in Guinea to come to America in 1996, just after the passage of his 21st birthday.

"You have worked so hard and so long," he told his mother Kadiatou Diallo just before he left for New York. "It is now my time to take over and for you to rest."

But less than five months later, Amadou Diallo was dead. He had been killed by a shower of 41 bullets fired by four white police officers outside his New York apartment.

"He was a good child," Kadiatou Diallo said in a speech last night in HUB Auditorium, "an innocent child."

She spoke to an audience of about 50 students with hopes of remembering her son, and conveyed her dissatisfaction with the American justice system.

"They [the police officers] said it was a mistake," she said. "They said his gesture made them nervous."

However, a wallet, key and beeper were the only belongings her son was carrying, she said.

"I want to ask you, how did the police see fear in such an innocent young man?" she asked the audience.

Diallo said she is not against all law enforcement but does feel the justice system is to blame for her son's death.

"I blame the system that tells us that it's OK to be aggressive against black and minority people," she said.

Her son's death has sent her through a whirlwind of emotions, but she still remains determined to find out why he was killed -- and to let the world know about his genuine personality.

One of the most upsetting moments occurred when she visited her son's apartment for the first time after his death, she said.

"I realized the life of my family would never be the same," she said. "But I then realized it was my job to prevent other parents from losing their children."

Kadiatou Diallo's quest for answers regarding her son's death and struggle to promote awareness of racial profiling and police brutality has sent her on a journey to college campuses across the nation.

Progress has been made to reform the criminal justice system, but more improvements must take place, she said.

Students can help in the fight for equality in the justice system by speaking out and writing about their viewpoints, she said.

The presentation was originally scheduled for Feb. 18, during Black Heritage Month, but was rescheduled because of inclement weather.

David Davis, president of Black Caucus, which sponsored the event, said the snow day most likely contributed to the low turnout.

The presentation ended on an optimistic note when Joslee Torres (senior-economics) asked about what parents could do to help their children take part in the fight against discrimination.

"More now than ever, we need to bring them near to us and give them self-esteem," she said. "No one should accept to be discriminated in this life."