From the Streets to a PhD: Dr. Terence Lester on Faith, Educational Injustice, and Fighting for Equity in a Broken System
From the Streets to a PhD: Dr. Terence Lester on Faith, Educational Injustice, and Fighting for Equity in a Broken System  
Podcast: Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other
Published On: Thu Aug 21 2025
Description: 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 📣 Calls to Action: ✅ TELL A FRIEND ABOUT TP&R!!! Bring more folks into the conversation. ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Check out our substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion 🔗 Connect on Social Media: Corey is @coreysnathan on... Bluesky LinkedIn Instagram Threads Facebook Substack TikTok Our Sponsor: Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com Thanks for tuning in! Now go talk politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. 🎙️✨