INSPIRED BY THE DEATH OF A CHILDHOOD FRIEND WHO LOST HIS BATTLE WITH DEPRESSION AND ADDICTION, TORY CREATED THE BRAND, "STRUGGLE IS COMMON" TO HONOR HIS FRIEND AND HELP SAVE OTHERS FROM THE SAME FATE.
THE BRAND AIMED AT REMINDING PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE NOT ALONE IN THEIR STRUGGLES AND THAT IF THEY CONFRONT THEM HEAD ON, THEY CAN ULTIMATELY FREE THEMSELVES.
THIS COLLAB WITH ACTIVELY BLACK SERVES TO INCREASE AWARENESS FOR THIS CAUSE AND GIVE BLACK CREATORS LIKE TORY ANOTHER PLATFORM TO GIVE BACK AND POSITIVELY AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY.
Lamont “Tory” Stapleton is a Creator and Community Builder who has dedicated his entire adult life to giving back and continuously finding new ways to unite the people.
Philanthropy is engrained into his lifestyle and it is the driving force and purpose behind his infectious energy and impact.
Tory is definitely ACTIVELY BLACK.
After several prison visits and a chance encounter in LA in which he bumped into a recently released individual who had served 20 years at one of the prisons, he and a college rival and close friend, Darren Duncan, started what is now Between The Lines. Between The Lines is a recreational therapy program that uses the game of basketball to unite and teach valuable lessons that can be applied on and off the court. Their organization also provides reintegration services to individuals upon release to positively impact the recidivism rate.
Following the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others, Tory was inspired to take action. Like so many throughout the country and around the World, he was infuriated and desperately needed a way to express it and ensure that the voices of the people were heard loud and clear. Along with 3 friends, he organized Bike Rides for Black Lives, a bike protest that began in LA and toured the country.
Together they peacefully united thousands of riders of all races in protest to ongoing police brutality and racial injustice in America.
