Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Lesra Martin is an inspiring example of the power in each of us to make a difference. Functionally illiterate, Lesra realized that in order to achieve his dream of attending university, he would need to learn to read and write.
Hope Heart and Human Spirit
Lesra Martin is an inspiring example of the power in each of us to make a difference. Martin was once an inner city kid dismissed by society, yet his heart carried hope and courage. He effected profound change in the lives of many, including his own. Lesra Martin’s heartrending story has mesmerized and inspired millions through the major Hollywood feature The Hurricane. Its star, Denzel Washington, marvelled over Lesra’s real life odyssey from a poorly educated Brooklyn teen to a respected prosecutor with university degrees. “What a journey!” Washington told Reuters.
He was invited to speak before the General Assembly delegates at the United Nations, where he gave an impassioned speech about the devastating effects of literacy and poverty. He has been featured on countless television and radio shows, most notably as a special guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live. Dozens of newspaper and magazines articles from The New York Times and The Washington Post to Sports Illustrated and Reader’s Digest Magazine have chronicled aspects of Lesra’s life.
Lesra spreads his message of hope to thousands, appearing before corporate groups, community organizations, schools and universities. He has appeared as a keynote speaker for a wide variety of companies and organizations, including IBM, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard and the International Subway Corporation. He has delivered his heart felt message to Piney Woods School (Mississippi), Atlanta International School, Boston College, Baylor University and Dartmouth, as well appearing before the Mel Goldberg Symposium on Justice (Minnesota), Council of Exceptional Children (Child Development Institute, Early Literacy), and the YMCA (Ohio) among many others. Through his inspiring presentations, Lesra shows audiences that the power to make a difference exists in each of us.
Similar
Speakers