Marlo Stanfield is not a nice man.
Drug lord, killer, an all-round bad egg, just thinking about the brutal Baltimorean makes us shudder.
Fortunately, Marlo Stanfield is a fiction, a character in The Wire, HBO’s acclaimed portrayal of life on Maryland’s meanest streets.
That doesn’t mean that men like Marlo don’t exist, for television is nothing if not real life reflected.
That isn’t our point, not something that we intend to dwell upon anyway, not now, not here.
You see, this blog is all about inspiration, about reaching out and touching lives, about changing them, about making a difference.
This tale is a perfect fit.
This is about guiding others and showing the better path.
This is about the good man behind the bad.
This is about connection.
In Brooklyn, NYC, the most amazing connections are being made, thanks to Jamie Hector, the actor, the man better known to most as Marlo Stanfield.
The two have nothing in common, Jamie not one bit like his alter ego.
You see, Marlo destroys lives, Jamie shapes them.
Using his standing, leaning on his unquestionable talents, Jamie has formed Moving Mountains – a non-profit organization that helps, trains, motivates and inspires young people from the inner-cities.
Trains them how? In all things artistic.
In acting, in singing, in writing, in creating.
Film-making, photography, graphic art – the list, it appears, is endless.
It’s about identifying talent and harnessing it. It’s about putting influence to good use, setting an example, offering inspiration.
It’s about showing Jamie’s road to the impressionable and trying to steer them clear of Marlo’s.
Drama, not drugs. The stage, not the streets. Offering an outlet.
Moving Mountains puts on dramatic productions – offering encouragement and opportunities to all, those showing an interest in or an aptitude for the arts, those seeking direction, a different path.
But above all, the Moving Mountains programme is showing that there is a better way, a life beyond the streets, beyond the grasp of corruptive characters like Marlo Stanfield.
“If you believe it, you can do it,” explained Jamie, whose program has touched countless lives in recent times. “With a little bit of faith, nothing is impossible.”
Mentoring, inspiring, making connections, Jamie’s efforts are having an astonishing impact on New York City’s young people.
The project’s success is such that a bigger base is, at present, being sought, Moving Mountains having outgrown its modest beginnings, testament to its importance to life and living in some tough, punishing, prohibitive communities.
Connection is like that. Reach out, touch lives, make a difference, the response can be surprising.
This story, this project, this spoke to us here in our studio, so much so that we felt it important to share it, to recognize the efforts being made out there, in Brooklyn and beyond, on scales both large and small.
You too can make a difference. You too can connect.
Like Jamie says, it just requires a little belief.
Here in Saunderstown, we’d like to commend everyone involved in this project.
The world needs fewer men like Marlo Stanfield and more like Jamie Hector.
To use his motto, With a little bit of faith, we can all Move Mountains.
To use ours, We are all connected.