INAUGURAL GAME CHANGER HONOREE:
Attorney Greg Francis

“A mind stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension,” stated Attorney Greg Francis. In his words, this is exactly what MAN UP Mentoring, Inc.is doing for the youth of their community.

 

The civil rights attorney is making a difference across the nation rewriting history one case and community investment at a time. A champion for the rights of Black Americans, he led a landmark case winning the largest civil rights settlement in the history of civil justice in the U.S., demanding justice for 33,000 Black farmers. It was a settlement of $1.25 billion dollars. This is the journey of MAN UP’s 2024 Game-Changer Honoree Attorney Greg Francis.

 

Surprisingly, he didn’t always have eyes for law. Well, at least not the courtroom. “I wanted to be a police officer or an engineer. Somewhere along my childhood I knew I wanted to make an impact on the world and other people,” the Panama native recalled.

 

Francis is an avid supporter of Jones High School, as well as The Kingdom Church, where he has created a home buyers’ program helping residents become homeowners and restore their neighborhoods.

 

He believes in order to cultivate a growth mindset in an underserved community, it takes partners with a proven track-record like MAN UP to introduce innovative ways of thinking to our young people, while also providing access to the basics like, mentorship, life skills, financial literacy and literacy tutoring

 

Growing up in Richmond Heights remains near and dear to his heart. He explained that the lack of access to resources creates a knowledge barrier, but studies show it’s also the most visible dimension of poverty. It’s the reason Francis is committed to building more opportunities for his childhood neighborhood.

 

Reflecting on his teenage years, he witnessed friends lose their life to the streets and eventually end up in prison. A poignant memory was seeing a childhood friend become a slave to street life and make a decision that would alter his life forever. “As we got into middle school he fell by the wayside and is now doing life without the chance of parole for murder,” he shared.

 

Throughout his life, Francis often thinks about his friend whose reckless behavior and life choices helped to inspire him to enter the field of law. Admitting he sees aspects of his friend in almost every client he represents.

 

But what made all the difference in his life and shaped the man he is today, was his parents. Early on he realized whatever he would be, it would require hard work, and he was certainly up to the challenge.

As a child he watched his stepfather work full-time while also attending college.

 

Francis remembered that his stepfather’s handwriting made notetaking challenging but his wife, Francis’ mother stepped in to assist her husband with his studies. “I distinctively remember hearing, the back and forth clicking of the tape recording of his classes. It taught me that we have to be resilient. We have to find a way. It’s not always a straight path.” He hopes the mentees of MAN UP grasp this concept early on in life.

 

“It is our responsibility to plant seeds for the next generation,” he went on to say. Paying it forward is critical to their success.” He hopes the mentees of MAN UP will become positive role models in their communities, mentoring others the way they were poured into. “This is how you create a legacy of leadership,” he affirmed.

 

As we finally closed out the interview, Francis concluded it the way it began, with an introspective quote,” I want to be remembered as, someone who not only advocated for others, but who actively participated and helped shape the community that he is a part of. Being a true partner and contributor, not just a voice.”

                  

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ABOUT MAN UP MENTORING, INC.

MAN UP Mentoring, Inc. is a community-based non-profit 501c (3) charity organization primarily serving at-risk youth ages 11 through completion of high school or the equivalent across Metro Orlando, with a focus on delinquency prevention and intervention by providing social, educational, and mentoring services. Established in 2014 by Orlando natives, brother and sister duo Christopher and Samantha Wallace. Currently, it is managed by an Executive Director, contractors and a full-time staff of volunteers. It is overseen by a Board of Directors with more than 150 years of law enforcement and civilian experience, as well as advisors from the Orange County Public School System and social services.