Paul Lamar Hunter: From the 19th Child to Author, Filmmaker and Inspiration
There are stories that entertain us, and then there are stories that challenge us to look deeper into the lives of the people around us. Paul Lamar Hunter’s story is one of survival, forgiveness, education and determination. Born October 16, 1970, in Racine, Wisconsin, Hunter was the son of James Sr. and Louise Hunter and the 19th of 21 natural children. His journey from a childhood filled with poverty and dysfunction to becoming a college graduate and published author is a story that AMPS Magazine believes deserves to be heard.
Hunter describes his childhood as one marked by poverty, neglect and dysfunction. His mother spent much of her time working with the homeless at a shelter she had established, leaving older siblings responsible for caring for the younger children. While his mother believed she was doing the Lord’s work by helping people in need, Hunter says her frequent absence from the home had serious consequences for her own children. Those experiences would remain with him throughout his life and eventually become the foundation for the story he felt compelled to tell.
One of the most painful chapters of Hunter’s childhood came in 1976, when tragedy struck the family home. His sister Zollena suffered severe burns, while his brother, Thomas Hunter, died in a house fire. For Hunter, these were experiences that could never simply be forgotten. They became part of the personal history that eventually inspired him to put his life and his family’s story on paper.
Today, Hunter is a father himself, raising four children—two girls and two boys. His children range in age from 11 to 20, and he speaks about them with love and pride. Becoming a parent gave Hunter another perspective on his own childhood and helped him understand the importance of unconditional love, forgiveness and being present for the people who depend on you.
Those lessons became especially important as Hunter grew older. Rather than allowing the circumstances of his childhood to define the rest of his life, he chose to turn those experiences into something that could potentially help others. That decision led him to become an author. Hunter wanted to tell his personal story and share what it was like growing up in a home filled with chaos, dysfunction and family secrets. His goal was not simply to expose painful experiences, but to show readers that a difficult beginning does not have to determine the ending.
Hunter’s journey also includes an important academic achievement. In 2012, he became the first person in his family to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Upper Iowa University. His graduation represented much more than a college degree. It demonstrated to Hunter and those around him that the circumstances of his childhood did not have to limit his future.
He later became the first author in his family with the publication of his book, No Love, No Charity: The Success Story of the 19th Child. The book tells the story of his upbringing and the challenges he faced while growing up as the 19th child in a family of 21 children.
Hunter believes the book can speak to anyone who has ever carried the weight of a painful family secret or struggled with circumstances beyond their control. His message is simple but powerful: no matter what a person has experienced, there is still an opportunity to move forward and succeed. He believes that sharing these stories can help others recognize that they are not alone.
One of the greatest lessons Hunter says he has learned throughout his life is how to love people despite their shortcomings. He recognizes that parents are not perfect, and becoming a parent himself helped him gain a different understanding of his own mother. Hunter says he has learned to love unconditionally, forgive his mother and continue moving forward rather than allowing anger and resentment to control his future.
That spirit of forgiveness and perseverance is also reflected in Hunter’s developing screenplay, The Two Faces of E. Based on a true story, the screenplay centers around Eloise Edwards, affectionately known as Mother Edwards, a social activist and mother of 21 natural children. For more than three decades, she helped people dealing with poverty and other difficult circumstances through the mission she established.
But behind the public image of Mother Edwards was another story.
While the community knew her as a woman devoted to helping others, her own children experienced a very different side of family life. The screenplay explores the complicated relationship between Eloise’s public and private identities as she attempts to balance her responsibilities as a mother with the demands of running an urban mission. The story involves faith, family, adversity, tragedy, death and murder while examining the emotional conflict created when a person's public image does not match the reality experienced inside the home.
The screenplay has attracted interest from producers, and the project has been placed in the hands of a producer who has direct connections with major names in the entertainment industry, including Will Packer of Rainforest Films and Tyler Perry. For Hunter, the possibility of seeing his family's story become a feature film represents another major chapter in a journey that began with simply trying to survive his childhood.
Hunter has also been invited to attend the BronzeLens Film Festival in Atlanta, an opportunity that could potentially put his story in front of people within the film and entertainment industry. The festival brings together filmmakers, actors, producers, writers and other industry professionals, making the invitation an important opportunity for Hunter to continue moving his story forward.
AMPS Magazine has followed Hunter’s journey and believes that his story represents exactly the kind of perseverance and determination that our readers can appreciate. His story has previously received national attention, including coverage in Ebony magazine, as well as coverage in other publications, including AMPS Indianapolis.
Hunter says he needs financial assistance to attend the BronzeLens Film Festival and is asking supporters who believe in his story to help him make the trip to Atlanta. For those interested in learning more about his work, supporting his journey or exploring sponsorship opportunities, information is available through his website, www.nolovenocharity.com.
For AMPS readers, this is more than simply an author's trip to a film festival. It is an opportunity to support someone who has spent years turning painful experiences into a message of hope. Sometimes the person who comes from the most difficult circumstances becomes the person who can inspire others to believe that their circumstances do not have to define them.
Hunter's message to those who look at his life and wonder how he overcame so many obstacles is straightforward: “You can’t keep a good person down.” He encourages people to believe in themselves regardless of their background or the path they have traveled. Drawing inspiration from a quote associated with Russell Wilson and his father, Hunter embraces the question, “Why not you?”
For Hunter, that question has become a philosophy. Speak big. Dream big. Never give up.
He credits his siblings, his children and the faculty and staff at Upper Iowa University for playing important roles in his success. Most importantly, he believes that if he can overcome his circumstances and achieve his goals, others can do the same. His message is one of faith, perseverance and self-belief: believe, receive and keep moving forward.
Hunter’s goals have always extended beyond his own success. He has expressed a desire to share his story with audiences around the world and reach some of the biggest platforms in entertainment and media. His ambitions have included appearances on nationally recognized television programs and opportunities to speak with influential media personalities. Those goals reflect the larger purpose behind his journey—to take a story that began in a difficult home and transform it into something that can inspire people everywhere.
As AMPS Magazine looks at Paul Lamar Hunter’s journey, one thing stands out: his story is not defined solely by what happened to him as a child. It is defined by what he chose to do with those experiences. He became a father, earned a college degree, became an author and is now working to bring his family's story to the screen.
The road ahead is still being written. The next chapter could take Hunter from the pages of his book to a theater screen, from Atlanta to Hollywood, and from his personal experience to an audience far beyond the people who already know his name.
For information about No Love, No Charity, the book, screenplay and opportunities to support Paul Lamar Hunter’s journey, visit www.nolovenocharity.com. Hunter is also available for speaking engagements and book signings.