First person of color elected as mayor in Belgium: Pierre Kompany

The father of international football star Vincent Kompany, Pierre Kompany, was elected mayor of Ganshoren in Brussels on Sunday October 14th. He is the first person of color to have been elected as mayor in Belgium.

He arrived to the country in 1975 as a refugee from what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Although he is perhaps best known for his famous sons (Vincent and Francois), Pierre became involved in politics as a city councilor in 2006, and took a seat in the Brussels regional parliament in 2014.

Vincent Kompany plays for Manchester City, as well as on the Belgium national team, while Francois plays for KSV Roeselare. Both of them congratulated their father on Instagram.