A Life Full of Color. A Future We Should Have Protected.
Remembering Javits Frimpong, 15
To our triBBBal community,
We honor Javits Frimpong, a young Ghanaian whose life ended far too soon.
Javits came to the United States to join his father, carrying the beginnings of a future his family hoped to see unfold. Loved ones remembered him as quiet and bright, with dreams of becoming a doctor. On October 29, 2026, he was fatally shot while walking to school in the Bronx. He was just fifteen. (abc7ny.com)
Behind those few sentences is a son who was deeply loved. A student with ambitions. A young person who deserved the time and safety to discover who he would become.
For many in our community, his journey feels familiar. Across the African diaspora, families cross borders, endure separation, and make difficult sacrifices to create opportunities for their children. Javits’s death touches that shared hope—and leaves us grieving with a family whose future has been changed forever.
Created by our founder, Lortir Pierre-Louis, this portrait began with a deeply personal response: “I am this kid. His story is my story.” As an immigrant and a father, Lortir saw something of his own journey in Javits.
The artwork’s vivid colors celebrate the fullness of a life still unfolding. Its flowing brushstrokes and radiant gold surround the gentle expression of a boy who had so much ahead of him. Through this portrait, we offer a place to pause, remember his face, and speak his name.
At triBBBal, our commitment to culture and community includes caring about the people whose stories we share. That care must extend to our young people: listening when they speak, taking their fears seriously, and acting when they need protection.
To Javits’s father, Thomas Frimpong, his mother, his family, and everyone who loved him: we offer our heartfelt condolences. We share this tribute with respect for your grief and for the young life you knew so much more fully than the world ever will.
To our community: let this remembrance move us toward greater care for the children around us. Check in. Listen closely. Follow through.
Remember his name: Javits Frimpong.
He deserved to grow up.
With love and solidarity,
triBBBal
