Comedian Puts Career on hold to Save a Generation

“I Ain’t Lying”

“I remember in 2005 a prestigious community leader told me that I could not go into the schools of Gwinnett County (GA) & mentor b/c I am not a licensed counselor. I literally said, I can do all things through Christ. Six  years later,  Gwinnett listed me & this company , in their official annuall report,  as the largest mentoring program in the county, over 28 schools and 3000 students. Just believe!”

Picture from The Lawrenceville Post: Comedian & Speaker Larry Veal, entertains mentors and students at Sweetwater Middle School's, year end "Mentor Appreciation Breakfast" May 18, 2011.

By Kat  Bennett,

In the early 1990’s, Stand Up Comedian Larry D. Veal packed up his used Audi and relocated to Atlanta from Indianapolis. He had been out of college for two years before he decided the time was right to take his show on the road. During that two year stint out of college, he had been trying
to perfect his comedy stand up routine at local clubs. His country, clean and
original act along with his common catch phase ” I Ain’t Lying”  was quickly a crowd favorite and soon had him opening for national acts.
However,  to keep the bills paid Larry decided to put his college degree to work, B.A. Criminology, Paine College, and got a job as a Fulton County Juvenile Probation Officer.  During this time Larry was  faced with some difficult challenges. Challenges that would alter the way he viewed his immediate future.    As he positioned himself in the comedy scene in Atlanta, he was again a crowd favorite, getting standing  ovations in clubs such as the Historic Comedy Act theatre.   His talent earned him a top spot on the then new B.E.T.’s Comic View. He was one of the very first comics selected to perform on that show, performing in their first week on the air.
With this recognition it was now really time for the big move “Los Angeles Baby” was the thought Veal
envisioned. However, what he witnessed as a juvenile P.O. the increase in serious youth violence and crime, strictness in laws, (his youngest brother was sentenced to life without parole in federal prison on a drug charge). In addition, Veal also noticed how the community had seemed to become accustomed and complacent to juvenile crime and the laws were getting more prone to punishment, not preventive measures.  As the juvenile crime wave continued to increase and the laws such as, Georgia Senate Bill 440,  1994, which enables a kid 13 years old to be eligible for adult prison along with adults, Veal became compelled to make a
difference.
The time had come for him to make  a career decision; he saw his fellow comedians make the move to L.A. and were quickly becoming big name stars.  People  like Chris Tucker, Earthquake, Sommore, Bruce Bruce,  Ricky Smiley,  Wanda Smith,   Arnez J, Don D.C Curry, andMike Epps were all “open mic”performers” along with Veal at the Comedy Act Theatre.
 
As Larry prepared his mind for the move he was faced with  another devastating circumstance.  One of his most liked probationer’s, one whom Veal had also become a mentor to  was killed in a gun fight.  That incident took the cake; Larry decided that it was more important to make the main mission in his life saving kids lives, than making adults laugh…at least for a little while, so he thought. However,  since that decision,  several former  students in his programs have gone on to do remarkable things, from earning PHDs, to professional sports.
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