Terence Lester
AUTHOR

Terence Lester

Tap the gear icon above to manage new release emails.
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.
Read more Read less
Not an Audible member?
Start your free 30-day trial
From £5.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

From Dropout to Doctorate

Most popular
View Details

Best Sellers

Product list
  • All God's Children cover art
    Preview

    £12.71 or free with trial. Auto-renews at £5.99/month after trial. See eligibility.

  • When We Stand cover art
    Preview

    £11.13 or free with trial. Auto-renews at £5.99/month after trial. See eligibility.

  • From Dropout to Doctorate cover art
    Preview

    £13.80 or free with trial. Auto-renews at £5.99/month after trial. See eligibility.

Are you an author?

Help us improve our Author Pages by updating your bibliography and submitting a new or current image and biography.
Visit Amazon Author Central