I have always wanted to interview Attorney Willie Gary from the first time I saw a video with excerpts from his life. What inspired me most about him was the fact that he came from humble beginnings, and he never used his circumstances to stop him from achieving excellence. It took me six years to finally get an interview with Mr. Gary, but it was worth the wait. Mr. Gary gives credit to his parents, Turner and Mary Gary, for the strong spiritual foundation they instilled in him. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me." Philippians 4:13 is his favorite Bible verse." He planted those words firmly into his heart.

Over the years, Mr. Gary has had tremendous success taking on some of Americas most powerful companies and winning millions of dollars in settlement for his clients. In 1995 his half-billion dollar verdict against the Loewen Group, a Canadian funeral home chain in Mississippi was celebrated around the world as the largest jury verdict in the history of America. The success of the verdict catapulted his legal career and created a media frenzy. He appeared on "CBS Evening News," "ABC's World News Tonight" with Peter Jennings, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "The Early Show" with Bryant Gumbel. He was also featured in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, Jet Magazine, Black Enterprise, Fortune and the National Law Journal. He has been listed in Forbes Magazine as one of the top 50 attorneys in the United States. However, fame and fortune did not change Mr. Gary's heart. His father once told him, "Make the money, but don't let the money make you."

In 1994, he and his wife Dr. Gloria Gary established The Gary Foundation to help provide scholarships for at-risk students who would like to attend college. The memory of his experience in 1967 at Shaw University left an impression on his heart and inspired him to set up the foundation. Shaw University waved the $10.00 registration fee that he could not afford and gave him a chance to pursue a college degree, when other colleges had closed their doors. He returned the favor to the university by donating a gift of 10 million dollars to help improve their facility and provide scholarships for students. Millions of dollars have been donated through the foundation to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Mr. Gary knows first hand the importance of an education. He believes that education is power and without it he would not be where he is today. He has taken time out of his busy schedule to speak at numerous schools throughout the United States encouraging students to stay in school and get an education. On February 5, 2005, he received the first annual William H. and Camille O. Cosby Philanthropic Award for his outstanding contribution to help enrich the lives of African-Americans through education.

Another project that is close to Mr. Gary's heart is the annual Kidz Carnival that he created in Stuart, Florida where he resides. Every Christmas for the past eight years he makes wishes come true for young disadvantage children by donating over 3,000 toys to the carnival. It gives him a tremendous amount of joy to see the smiles on the faces of young children. Mr. Gary believes that all children need to have strong positive role models. Because of his deep concern about the negative images that African-American children and their families are exposed to on television, he decided to create a television network. In 1999 he launched the Black Family Channel to provide wholesome programs with strong family values for the urban community. Ebony Magazine listed him as one of the 100 most influential African-Americans.

Mr. Gary is famous in the legal field as the "Giant Killer," but to the people whose lives he has touched, he is known for his "Giant Heart." On February 19, 2009 when I interviewed Mr. Gary, he was making a dream come true for the boys and girls club of Martin County by donating six acres of land to build their new headquarters. His donation was from a piece of land that was given to him by his late father. The new headquarters of the boys and girls club will be named in honor of his parents Turner and Mary Gary.

Mr. Gary exemplifies the true meaning of the philanthropic spirit, a quality that he has imparted to his sons Kenneth, Ali, Sekou and Kobie. His life story is currently being considered in Hollywood to be produced as a major motion picture. The movie will be an inspiration to people all over the world. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to interview a man with such a caring, compassionate and giving heart. In closing my interview, I asked Mr. Gary what was his prayer for the world, and he said, "Peace, peace, peace."

For more information visit www.garyfoundation.com