I was born and raised in Harlem, New York. I spent over twenty years in the men's custom clothing business. I owned Gillespies Footwear and Accessories in Hemptead, New York. In 1999 I became a mediator under contract at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) I am also founder of the National Association of African American Mediators with the goal of finding a cure for conflict. Harlem Son is my first book.