Julius Lester
Julius Lester: A Life of Unwavering Commitment to Social Justice
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Julius Lester was born on April 18, 1939, in Mobille, Alabama. He often used the alias "Toby" among friends and family.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: April 18, 1939
Died: December 5, 2018
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Julius Lester was an American author, historian, professor, activist, and social justice advocate. His work spanned multiple genres, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and essays.
Early Life and Background
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Lester grew up in a poor African American family during the Great Depression and the early years of Jim Crow segregation. He faced significant racism and hardship throughout his childhood, which had a profound impact on his worldview and writing. Despite these challenges, Lester's mother encouraged his love for reading and learning.
Major Accomplishments
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Lester's impressive career spanned over five decades. Some notable achievements include:
Pulitzer Prize Nomination: His novel "To Die in Sodom" was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1965.
Guggenheim Fellowship: Lester received a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in 1973 to support his writing.
Professorship: He taught at various institutions, including Yale University and Harvard University.Notable Works or Actions
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Lester's work often explored themes of social justice, racism, and the African American experience. Some notable works include:
"To Die in Sodom" (1965): A novel that explores the lives of three gay men living in a small town.
"The Long Journey Home" (1986): A collection of essays reflecting on his childhood and experiences with racism.
"Lovesong: Becoming a Jew" (1988): A memoir about Lester's journey to Judaism.
Impact and Legacy
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Julius Lester's commitment to social justice and advocacy had a lasting impact on the world. He:
Challenged Racism: Through his writing, Lester confronted racism head-on, offering powerful critiques of societal norms.
Promoted Tolerance: His work advocated for understanding and acceptance, especially in regards to LGBTQ+ issues and Jewish identity.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Julius Lester's legacy continues to inspire people today due to:
Unwavering Commitment: His dedication to social justice and advocacy serves as a model for future generations.
Powerful Storytelling: Lester's writing offers a unique perspective on the human experience, exploring themes of identity, community, and resilience.
Quotes by Julius Lester
While the subject matter is lynching, on a deeper level, this novel is about identity. Whom and what we identify ourselves with determines our characters, determines who we are, and what we do.
Love happened. Love came to show you that you could be more than you could ever imagine, because love forced you out of the narrows of yourself and thrust you into a vastness that stretched from one end of time to the other. Nothing mattered except being in the presence of love, the greatest beauty of all.
Faith is not something that one has; faith is something that one practices at the very moment in your life when you really don’t believe anything, and you’re in the worst kind of despair.
To write and not tell the truth? That would be death for any writer. But more, it would be death to the imagination. And if the imagination dies, what would happen to the souls of children?
Books, and especially fiction, do not proceed from ideas. They are born from feelings.
Freeform radio is an art form. The airwaves are the empty canvas, the producer is the artist, and the sound is the paint.
Just because she’s dead it doesn’t mean I stopped loving her or that she stopped loving me. It’s just her body that left. The love didn’t. – Jenna Richards.
It ain’t how long you know somebody that means anything. It’s what that person mean to you in your heart.
