By AfriPAC:
We are writing with a heavy heart to uplift the life of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy killed while on his way to school in the Bronx. He had arrived in the United States just a year ago to join his father, with hopes of an education and a future full of possibility.
Javits was a child, loved by his family, with a life ahead of him. As the African Public Affairs Committee (AfriPAC), we mourn his loss and stand with his parents and the Ghanaian community and African Diaspora at large in seeking answers and accountability.
As immigrant rights and African Diaspora leaders, we must also make space for the experiences of Black immigrants. Anti-Black racism and discrimination based on nationality, accent, and perceived immigration status can overlap, while African diaspora communities too often struggle to have their experiences recognized within broader immigrant rights conversations. Our solidarity must include listening to these communities and addressing the disproportionate scrutiny and unequal protection they face.
Without prejudging the investigation into Javits’s killing, we can insist that African and Black immigrant children deserve safety, dignity, and adults and institutions that take their concerns seriously.
Please help honor Javits by sharing his story respectfully and supporting his family:
Donate to the family’s GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-javits-frimpongs-family
Please direct all inquiries, including media requests and offers of support, to the Ghana Diaspora Public Affairs Collective (GHPAC) at [email protected], so outreach can be coordinated respectfully. GHPAC is leading the efforts to advocate for the family.
Thank you for holding Javits’s family in your hearts and for making Black immigrant communities a sustained part of our collective work. AfriPAC has issued a press statement mourning Javits’s loss and calling for answers, a thorough investigation, and accountability.
