Terence Lester
AUTHOR

Terence Lester

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Dr. Terence Lester is a storyteller, public scholar, speaker, community activist, and author. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Love Beyond Walls, a nonprofit organization focused on raising awareness about poverty and homelessness and on community mobilization. Additionally, he serves as the Director of Public Policy and Social Change and as a professor at Simmons College of Kentucky (HBCU). He received his PhD with a concentration in Public Policy and Social Change from Union Institute and University. His campaigns on behalf of the unhoused and those facing poverty, have been featured in USA Today, CNN, Black Enterprise, Essence, and Reader's Digest. They have been viewed by millions of people globally on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS News, NBC, Upworthy, and "The Bright Side" with Katie Couric. He was named by Coca-Cola as one of their History Shakers. Terence has delivered countless lectures, sermons, and speeches at conferences, churches, schools, organizations, and companies across the country. He has served on several ministerial staffs and currently writes a weekly newsletter titled “From Streets to Scholarship,” addressing the intersection of public policy, poverty, race, and faith. His books include “I See You,” “When We Stand,” and “All God's Children,” along with a recent children's book aimed at educating children about compassion and homelessness, co-authored with his daughter, Zion Joy Lester, entitled “Zion Learns to See: Opening Our Eyes to Homelessness.” His forthcoming book with InterVarsity Press is set to release Fall of 2025, entitled, “From Dropout to Doctorate: Breaking The Chains of Educational Injustice.” Terence has also received numerous awards for his community activism, including the Atlanta 500 (2020–2025), BCI Author of the Year Award (2024), Brawny Giant Award (2020), American Express NextGen Award (2020), Empire Board of Realtists Distinguished Service Award (2017), SCLC Social Advocacy Award (2016), Atlanta Voice's "50 under 50" honor (2016), and the True to Atlanta Award presented by the Atlanta Hawks (2016). He and his wife, Cecilia, along with their family, live in Atlanta.
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