By Jaziah Masters
Recently on campus, Baylor welcomed one of the most inspirational leaders I have ever had the privilege of listening to. Bryan Stevenson serves as the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. As part of the Academy for Leader Development lecture series, Bryan Stevenson was well informed on the idea of what it takes to be a leader. His message of social justice was not only for those who aspire to be lawyers, litigators or other legal occupations, it was for students of all majors. Stevenson believes that all people are capable of social change, and this was a consistent message throughout his lecture.
In anticipation for the lecture, we were encouraged to look at the TED Talk that Mr. Stevenson gave. Before I continue, I would encourage everyone to stop reading right now and go take a look at this particular talk.
Stevenson brings up some good points, presented in humorous anecdotes. It is obvious that he is passionate about his work, and that passion inspired me to pursue something that I would love just as much, if not more. Stevenson is changing the world. The work is slow, and the work is tiresome, but at the end of the day, Stevenson is in fact making the necessary changes. He claims that we are all called to change the world. We can all play our part. This was the message echoed in the lecture Stevenson gave on Tuesday night.
The talk centered on the issue of injustice in America’s justice system. He addressed some surprising facts that I don’t believe most people normally give much attention to. But by the way Stevenson spoke about his experiences he was able to make the topic not only relatable, but also allowed the audience to practice empathy. It was a powerful message, and not the only topic discussed in the lecture…
Stevenson was able to share with us his wholehearted belief that we could all be change agents. He gave us advice on how to rethink both ourselves and our ways, so that we would be open to opportunities that would allow us to service our community, both near and far. Because of Stevenson, I think defiantly about what it means to be a leader. Stevenson created a much needed dialogue on campus.
The biggest takeaway that I will give from this lecture is a simple phrase, “Hold on to the idea that you can change the world.” Everyone, in his or her own special way, has the capacity to do so, and I am grateful to Stevenson for bringing this message.