Blackson Starts School Tour on Bullying

Michael Blackson began visiting high schools to speak with students about bullying after the death of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Secondary Education

Comedian Michael Blackson launched a school tour visiting high schools to talk with students about bullying following the death of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong, who was attacked on his way to school in the Bronx. The tour's first stop was John Bartram High School in Philadelphia.

Why it matters

The tour responds to a case in which a teenager was pursued by attackers on his way to school, raising questions about how students are protected from bullying and violence. Blackson also shared his own experience of being bullied, offering a personal perspective to students.

The NYPD investigation into the death of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong involves three attackers who pursued him before fleeing toward Manhattan on a No. 5 train. As of November 3, 2026, no arrests had been made and police were preparing a subpoena for Department of Education bullying records.

The players

Michael Blackson

Michael Blackson is a comedian and actor who launched a school tour to speak with students about bullying.

John Bartram High School

John Bartram High School is a public high school in Philadelphia that hosted the first stop of Blackson's school tour.

The details

Blackson announced the tour in an Instagram post, thanking Brian Johnson, principal of the school, for helping him start it. He pledged to speak with students about how to deal with bullying, and he opened up on Instagram about being bullied at Broadway Junior High School in North Newark, New Jersey.

Thursday, October 29, 2026: Javits Frimpong was attacked on his way to school in the Bronx.
Around October 31, 2026: Blackson opened up on Instagram about his own bullying.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: No arrests had been made in the investigation.
November 4, 2026: Blackson's school tour launched with a stop at John Bartram High School in Philadelphia.

Big Picture

Blackson's tour follows a pattern in which public figures share their own experiences of being bullied to encourage students to speak up and seek help. Such outreach has become a recognized way to address bullying alongside school policy and reporting systems.

Students facing bullying can reach out to school counselors and administrators, and the tour offers a chance for them to hear from a speaker who has faced the same experience. Parents and educators may find the tour a useful prompt to review how their own schools respond to reports of bullying.

The takeaway

Open conversations about bullying, especially from people who have lived through it, can help students recognize that they are not alone and encourage them to report harassment early.