Julius Lester

Fifteen years ago, Daniella Silver was a student of Lester’s. From her time in Lester’s class, one statement in particular stood out to her.

He once said, “Each person sitting in my class represents a story. How can I be a good teacher if I don’t know their story, because their stories will determine how they will hear me and what, if anything, they will learn?

“It’s important we tell our stories and we listen to those that came before us,” Silver said. “To know who we are and where we are going, we need to know where we came from.”

Through his outspokenness on the radio, in literature and in the classroom, Lester left a legacy of authenticity.

“Every time I would talk to [Lester], I saw and felt [his] heart truly listening to me,” Silver said.

According to Melnick, “there seemed to be a real soul there in everything he did.”

“What you saw was who he was.”

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