“There is no person alive who cannot make a new beginning.” — L. Ron Hubbard 

In the Bronx, where the violent crime rate is the highest of the five boroughs of New York City, TBS New Direction, a Bronx-based mentoring and youth interventionist nonprofit, is addressing the root of the problem. Joined by religious leaders and community activists from the Bronx and Harlem, TBS New Direction leaders and members gathered at the Church of Scientology Harlem Community Center to honor L. Ron Hubbard for his common-sense guide to better living, The Way to Happiness. The group uses the book to build character and expand young people’s ability to succeed without resorting to crime. To express their appreciation, they awarded honorary membership to L. Ron Hubbard, along with a Black Spades Jacket, which they presented to a representative of the Church of Scientology. 

“I am honored to extend our heartfelt recognition of L. Ron Hubbard for his extraordinary contributions to humanity through The Way to Happiness,” said Mr. Marion “Tiny” Frampton, founder of TBS New Direction at the presentation.

TBS New Direction programs include gun and gang violence prevention, public safety activities, job development and training, community outreach and mobilization and social intervention. For the past several years, the nonprofit has been using The Way to Happiness to help youth learn the importance of moral values and discover their own goodness and values. 

 

TBS New Direction takes its name from The Black Spades, a street gang that began in the Bronx in the 1960s. The Black Spades’ original purpose was to fight racism, violence, bigotry and crime, and to counter the rapid spread of heroin throughout the community. By the 1970s, however, when the original leadership stepped down, the gang lost its bearings and ultimately became one of the most dangerous gangs in New York.

In 2019, a corps of The Black Spades founding members created the nonprofit TBS New Direction to accomplish the group’s original purpose through mentoring at-risk youth.

The Church of Scientology Harlem and its Community Center are dedicated to working side by side with groups of all denominations and providing an array of civic programs and humanitarian initiatives to strengthen and unite the community.

For more information on the Church of Scientology Harlem Community Center and its programs, watch Destination: Harlem. And to see how change makers from all faiths, cultures and nations use The Way to Happiness to uplift their communities, watch episodes of Voices for Humanity on the Scientology Network.