Ghana’s US Ambassador Victor Smith Recounts Son’s Bullying Experience in American School

According to a report by 3News published on November 6, 2026, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith, has recounted how his son experienced bullying in an American school because of his African background and accent.

Victor Emmanuel Smith shared the experience during an interview on Channel One TV’s The Point of View, amid growing concerns about bullying following the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ghanaian student Javits Badu Nkansah Frimpong in New York.

The Ambassador explained that his son was expected to adopt American slang and speech patterns from the beginning of his schooling. He said the treatment made African children feel unwelcome and isolated among their peers.

“This kind of bullying is no news at all. Personally, I’ve experienced it, my son,” Victor Emmanuel Smith recounted, describing the situation as particularly painful because some of the harassment was reportedly perpetrated by other Black students.

He further explained that the experience had helped him understand the emotional and psychological effects of persistent bullying on young people, including how harassment could make children withdraw from social activities and feel lonely.

The Ambassador also expressed concern about reports that Javits had experienced bullying before his death. The teenager’s father, Thomas Frimpong, had previously told media outlets that his son complained about harassment at school and that two students had reportedly been suspended.

However, authorities have not established a connection between the reported bullying and the fatal shooting.

Javits was killed on October 29, 2026, while walking to school in the Bronx, New York. His death has triggered widespread grief among Ghanaians in the United States and at home, alongside calls for justice and stronger protection for children.

Victor Emmanuel Smith argued that bullying among young people should also be examined through the lens of upbringing and social behaviour, rather than automatically attributing every incident exclusively to racism.

His account has renewed discussions about the challenges African immigrant children face in foreign schools and the importance of creating safe, inclusive learning environments where students are protected from harassment, discrimination and violence.

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