Lesra Martin encourages students to dare to dream.
Don’t tell Lesra Martin a task is impossible – he won’t believe you.
He has already defied the odds and he shared his inspirational story at Ivey Business School on October 6 to encourage people to strive to accomplish the seemingly impossible.
“I am here to remind you to continue your efforts. I am here to remind you that dreams come true,” he said. “I believe we all have a story and an ability to achieve greatness.”
Martin’s story has already captured considerable attention. He rose from an illiterate inner-city teenager in Brooklyn to a highly-respected crown attorney in Canada and is best known for helping release American boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter from prison.
His story was the subject of the 1999 hit movie, "The Hurricane," starring Denzel Washington; the book, Lazarus and the Hurricane, and the documentary film, "The Journey of Lesra Martin". He has also been featured on the Oprah Winfrey show and once addressed the United Nations.
Martin shared his story with executives at the Ivey Idea Forum at the Toronto Board of Trade and with Western students, staff and faculty for the J.J. Wettlaufer Distinguished Visitor Lecture Series at Ivey Business Schools. The events were sponsored by Ivey’s new Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership.
Martin discussed how hope, heart and human spirit can help people achieve their goals. He explained that nothing can be achieved in life without hope since people won’t work for something unless they believe in it. The heart has reasons that reason itself can not comprehend, he said, so it should be used as a compass when making challenging decisions. And human spirit allows people to bounce back from setbacks.
“I was given access to an opportunity and I adopted the right attitude,” Martin said. “I was given hope and hope starts everything.”
He related how he took an offer from some Canadian entrepreneurs to live with them in Toronto and gain access to education. The move prompted some difficult feelings, including guilt about leaving his family in New York. He cited one particularly low moment at age 16 when an assessment showed he read at a Grade 2 level.
“The loudest voice I heard was my own, saying, ‘You’re stupid. You’ll never amount to anything in life.’ With those thoughts in mind, I was on the road to self-destruction. Negative thoughts make us lose sight of our dreams and fear change,” he said. “In times of change, it’s more important than ever to hold on to the power of the imagination. You have to imagine nothing less than the best.”
“Success itself really is dependent on one thing – the ability to believe you can do anything if you set your mind to it.”
Ironically, once Martin decided to dispel his negative thoughts, he discovered American boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter’s 1974 autobiography, The 16th Round, at a used book store and bought it for 25 cents. Drawn by the powerful image of Carter on the cover, Martin learned to read with that book. He followed by writing to Carter and visiting him in prison. Their ensuing friendship eventually led to Carter's exoneration in 1985. The Canadian group devoted time and money to help Carter's lawyers clear his name after he had served almost 20 years.
The experience inspired Martin to become a lawyer and catapulted him to success when his story was featured in The Hurricane movie.
“Small doors in both our personal and professional lives can open doors to larger rooms,” he said.
And while acknowledging that his street smarts have helped him along the way, Martin stressed the value of education.
“There is no substitute for a good education. Once you have a solid background, you can adapt,” he said.