Sierra Leone icon Kei Kamara shares his own story of abuse as a young refugee after the death of 15-year-old Ghanaian Javits Frimpong in the Bronx.
Sierra Leonean MLS great Kei Kamara has spoken candidly about the abuse he faced as a young African immigrant in America, following the tragic killing of Ghanaian teenager Javits Frimpong in the Bronx. The former Sierra Leone captain says the story hit close to home.
Frimpong, 15, was shot and killed on his way to school in New York, barely a year after moving to the United States. His death has been linked to bullying. His father, Thomas Frimpong, told reporters his son had raised concerns about the situation three days before the shooting, and that the school principal told him the students involved had been suspended after the complaint.
The case has drawn wide attention. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani reportedly spoke with President Donald Trump to help arrange for the teen's mother to travel to the US and say a final goodbye to her son. Public figures, including New York native and Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B, have also shared their reactions to the tragedy.
Kamara arrived in the US in 2000 as a refugee from Sierra Leone and says he endured similar mistreatment in his early days. For him, sports became an outlet and a path forward, a journey that eventually took him to the top of Major League Soccer. His willingness to share that painful chapter now adds a powerful voice to the conversation about how young African immigrants are treated, protected and supported in their new schools and communities.
