Melbourne teenager Liep Gony had left the house to buy paint to help his mother prepare for his sister's wedding when two men bashed him to death with metal poles at the Noble Park train station in 2007.

Eleven years on, his mother has told a public memorial for her son she is afraid a similar tragedy could occur unless political leaders change the way they discuss youth crime.

Clinton Rintoull and Dylan Sabatino were in their 20s when they were jailed over the attack, and the court heard Rintoull had spray-painted racist slogans on walls before the attack.

On the steps of Victoria's Parliament House, members of Melbourne's African community held a memorial service and remembered a "caring, fun and loving" 19-year-old man.

T-shirts bearing Liep Gony's face were worn by many at the memorial service. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica )

Speaking through a translator, Liep's mother Martha Ojulo told the crowd she wanted to prevent any other family experiencing the same loss.

"When Liep died I didn't say much, because I felt as if my whole life was destroyed and I was just lying on the ground," Ms Ojulo said.

"I would like a death like this to never happen again … the death of a child, the death of a young man, is very painful," she said.

Ms Ojulo asked political leaders to consider the effect of their words. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica )

"In my culture, particularly a young man who has no children of his own, is a very painful loss.

"My heart continues to break because sometimes I see the story of my son used in contexts that are not appropriate.

"I was shocked because I expected an opposite reaction: my son was not killed because he fought someone, my son was not killed because he did something wrong, my son was killed because of the colour of his skin."

A basketball was laid next to photos of Liep Gony at the memorial. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica )

Ms Ojulo encouraged politicians to change the way they talk about the issue of youth crime.

"I hope that what happened to Liep never happens to another young man again … but I feel that for that change to happen, it would require even members of parliament to change the way they talk," she said.

"I am not saying that I don't know that some of the things that have been done by some kids aren't horrible, I know they have broken into homes, I know they have hurt people, but I also know that this is much more complicated than what we see in the media.

"Some of the solutions that should be suggested are not the kind of rhetoric that we have.

"For all this, even though my heart breaks, I am still very grateful to live in this beautiful country … thank you for coming and standing with me."

Ms Fouche said she is 'sick of the racism' in Australia. ( ABC News )

'I don't want to have to prove to people that I deserve life'

"Liep showed respect and love to people of all ages, ethnicity and sexual orientations," cousin Nyawech Fouche said.

"I remember being the age of eight to nine, and Liep would have conversations with me like an adult.

"He would speak to me with such passion on the topics of music, politics, racism and even issues which were affecting the lives of Indigenous Australians and African Americans."

Ms Fouche also expressed concern that the debate over youth crime in Melbourne is fuelling racism in the community.

"I want all of you guys to understand the issue, why my cousin was murdered, was because of racism," she said.

"I don't want to beat around the bush anymore, and I don't want to have to prove to people that I deserve life, or any other black person deserves to live.

"We do not want to prove that anymore, and I am tired and sick of the racism going on in this country, I am tired of the South Sudanese community being targeted.

"I am tired of all the minorities being bullied, being targeted by the media," she said, before she was overwhelmed by grief and embraced by fellow mourners.