From the Streets to a New Direction
Marion “Tiny” Frampton was born in 1956 at Harlem Hospital and raised between Harlem and the Bronx at a time when racism and violence shaped daily life. “When I got the news that John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King were assassinated, it was as if all of Harlem got shot, too,” he says. “The sad feeling of everyone in Harlem was almost unbelievable.” As neighborhoods burned and divisions deepened, young people looked for unity, identity and protection. For Frampton, that led to The Black Spades.
Between the 1970s and early 1980s, Frampton says, “What shaped my life was The Black Spades, and it opened my eyes to reality. It opened my eyes to unity, togetherness and a bond that I can’t describe.” He became president of his own chapter and a spokesman for the organization. “My best qualities were to understand and deal with people,” he says.
Originally formed in the 1960s, The Black Spades were meant to protect the community, fight racism and counter the spread of drugs. Over time, however, societal pressures and other influences changed the group’s role. “The Black Spades group was supposed to be a community group, but society wanted it to be something else,” Frampton says. As some members turned to drug dealing and violence, the gang became known as one of the largest and most feared street organizations in New York. Frampton himself experienced the consequences, including multiple prison sentences. Eventually, he reached a breaking point. “I woke up one day, and I was just tired,” he says. “Tired of my life.”
That turning point led Frampton to start The Black Spades (TBS) New Direction, a Bronx-based mentorship and youth intervention nonprofit founded by former members to accomplish what The Black Spades were originally meant to do. “When The Black Spades started in the 1960s, the founders set out to handle the racism,” he says. His goal today is clear: “I wanted to stop the youth killing others, and I wanted to stop them from killing each other. I wanted to be the vanguard of neighborhoods. How do we live together and how do we make a difference?”
“I want them to see the words and to understand them so they can apply them.”
Working in the Bronx—New York City’s borough with the highest rate of violent crime—TBS New Direction partners with community groups to mentor at-risk youth. Frampton was introduced to The Way to Happiness as a practical tool to support that mission. “I read the book, and I liked what I saw and how it would allow me to represent myself,” he says. “The only thing we can achieve is to open up people’s minds, their eyes and how we have to treat people and how not to be treated.”
Today, Frampton distributes the booklet and incorporates its message directly into his outreach. “These words are so needed today,” he says. “I don’t want to lose. I want to win. I want them to see the words and to understand them so they can apply them.” Through TBS New Direction, a legacy once defined by the streets is being reshaped into one of responsibility, guidance and peace.
Watch how The Way to Happiness is being used by others to guide youth and transform their communities at VoicesForHumanity.TV/TWTH.
RESTORE MUTUAL RESPECT
The Way to Happiness Foundation International works to reverse the moral decay of society by restoring trust and honesty through widespread distribution of the 21 precepts. Donations support the production and distribution of The Way to Happiness booklet.
