From the Streets to a PhD: Dr. Terence Lester on Faith, Educational Injustice, and Fighting for Equity in a Broken System

Dr. Terence Lester on overcoming poverty, confronting systemic racism in education, and how we can show up for students our schools are failing.

Introduction: Dr. Terence Lester is an activist, speaker, professor, and founder of Love Beyond Walls, a nonprofit focused on raising awareness about poverty and homelessness. Dr. Lester shares his remarkable story—from dropping out of high school to earning a doctorate—and how personal experience shapes his advocacy. We dive deep into the topics of systemic injustice, education, faith, and what it truly means to be present with those on the margins.

What We Discuss:

• How Dr. Lester’s personal journey fuels his mission

• The impact of educational redlining and systemic inequality

• How faith, mentors, and community shaped his life

• What churches and individuals can do to respond to injustice

• How to build proximity and empathy across differences

Episode Highlights:

• [00:01:00] Dr. Lester reflects on living in gratitude and grief at once

• [00:05:00] The dismantling of Black history and language in public discourse

• [00:10:00] How policy and redlining impacted Dr. Lester’s childhood neighborhood

• [00:15:00] A teacher named Ms. West sees his potential and changes his life

• [00:23:00] Mr. Moore tells Dr. Lester, “One day you’ll be a leader”

• [00:31:00] His grandmother and the spiritual foundation of faith in a historic Black church

• [00:36:00] A night in jail becomes a turning point in his faith journey

• [00:46:00] What the church is missing—and what it could become

• [00:54:00] How we can all build relationships across differences

Featured Quotes: “Sometimes people have to borrow your courage.” – Dr. Terence Lester “Distance is the enemy of belonging.” – Dr. Terence Lester “You never know how far I’ve traveled to be here—and I’m not talking about geography.” – Dr. Terence Lester “If you preach from your life’s text, you’ll never run out of material.” – Dr. Lester, quoting his Bible professor

Resources Mentioned:

• Love Beyond Walls: www.lovebeyondwalls.org

• From Dropout to Doctorate: www.ivpress.com/from-dropout-to-doctorate

• Dr. Lester on IG: www.instagram.com/imterencelester

• Dr. Lester's website: terencelester.com

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