Lesra Martin

How do you go from being illiterate to becoming an attorney? How do you go from a ghetto tenement to luxurious hotel suites in Beverly Hills to books and a movie being made about you?

To believe in others, in ourselves, and in possibilities, is at the very root of revolutions. Lesra Martin believed and transformed his own life and the lives of those around him. Martin taught himself to read as a teenager, and it was then that he truly learned to fight.

At 15, he bought the book, The 16th Round and was so moved by Rubin “Hurricane” Carter’s story of his unjust conviction of triple murder that Martin felt compelled to take up the cause. For more than five years, he dedicated his life to saving Carter’s when no one else would. In 1985, he succeeded. Carter was exonerated because Martin believed, fought and appealed for the middleweight boxer’s freedom.

Martin is an example of how reading enriches life and ignites passion. If you want proof that the seemingly impossible is attainable, look to Lesra Martin. Today he is an attorney in British Columbia. Sharing his journey, Martin offers audiences fascinating insights to the power in each of us to overcome adversity. He also speaks to audiences about legal and social justice issues such as the importance of abolishing illiteracy and capital punishment. Most importantly, he challenges audiences to never define themselves simply by where are, but by where they are going.