Growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Mike Tyson‘s early years were defined by instability and struggle. Raised primarily by his mother, Lorna, Tyson had little to no involvement from his father and often found himself targeted by bullies.
Overweight and introverted, he began getting into fights as a way of coping, and soon, petty crime followed. He was arrested multiple times before age 13 and was eventually sent to a reform school.
It was during this time that Tyson first encountered boxing, introduced to the sport by juvenile detention center counselor Bobby Stewart.
That introduction eventually led him to Cus D’Amato, the iconic trainer who transformed Tyson from a troubled teen into the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history. Now, decades later, Tyson is looking to pay that mentorship forward-not in the ring, but in the heart of Los Angeles.
Alongside his son, Miguel Leon Tyson, and Prince Jackson, the son of late pop legend Michael Jackson, Tyson has helped launch The Passion Project, a new community-focused initiative under the joint banner of The Heal Los Angeles Foundation and the Tyson Cares Foundation. The program aims to empower underserved children in L.A. by helping them discover and pursue their passions.
‘The Passion Project’ brings hope through hands-on opportunity
In a video shared on Instagram, Tyson appeared with Miguel and Jackson at the inaugural event, which took place on May 18 at Hayvenhurst. The atmosphere was celebratory, yet purposeful, as the trio explained their motivation behind the project.
“We are here at the Beautiful Hayvenhurst, where my family moved from Gary, Indiana, in 1970 to Los Angeles to start working with Motown,” Jackson said. “We are here to celebrate the inauguration of the Passion Project, which is a passion of both the Heal Los Angeles Foundation and the Tyson Cares Foundation.”
So far, 20 students are participating in the initiative. These young individuals have been granted access to unique experiences in voice acting, jiu-jitsu, cooking, swimming, STEM education, and more. According to Miguel Tyson, that exposure is the heart of the program.
“A lot of kids, especially in the inner city, don’t get the opportunity to even know what they’re passionate about… Now, we just have 20 kids. They tell us what they’re passionate about, and then we find organizations, whether it’s a science center in downtown LA or whether it’s voice acting,” he explained.
Mike Tyson, who spent the day at the event with the kids and their families, reflected deeply on how his past shaped his belief in this mission.
“I’m so proud of my son and Prince Jackson because from my experience, I know kids just need hope for a better life,” Tyson said. “I was a bad kid,” he admitted, “I was heading for the prison system or the graveyard.”
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