His journey featured in a Hollywood film, Lesra Martin helps recognize students who improve Black lives

U of T News speaks with alumnus Lesra Martin (BA ’88 Innis), whose generosity helped established the  new Lesra Martin Student Changemaker Award — recently given to Francisca Wiafe-Amoako (HBSc ’21 Innis) and Innis and cinema studies student Kassia Neckles.

“Education has been the key to my future,” Martin says. “When I was a young boy, I couldn’t read or write at the age of 15. Because of the help and kindness of some strangers who came into my life from Toronto, I went on to obtain an education – that no one could take away from me – and become a lawyer.”