An Atlanta man walking to Memphis to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and raise awareness of poverty passed through Cullman Friday morning as part of his journey. 

Terence Lester is making the 386-mile walk from the National for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta to the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 assassination, for a campaign called the March Against Poverty 2018. 

Lester said he is walking to bring awareness to poverty and to honor King. 

“One of the last things he was fighting against was poverty,” he said.

Lester began the month-long trek on March 3, and plans to finish the trip on April 4, which is the 50th anniversary of the day King was assassinated. 

This isn’t the first time that Lester has walked such a long distance, as he walked from Atlanta to Washington D.C. in 2016 on another march against poverty. 

Lester and his wife Cecilia run Love Beyond Walls, an Atlanta nonprofit focused on providing services and reaching out to those who are homeless in the metro area, and he said he got the idea for the first walk while working for his organization. 

He said an elderly lady who hadn’t eaten for a week walked seven miles to his organization’s building for food, and he saw there were many other people who do the same thing every day. 

“Many people we serve walk, and I started thinking about how some people who are impoverished have to walk to survive,” he said “And I wanted to, in essence, take off my shoes and put on theirs to symbolize how much of a struggle it is to walk in the condition of poverty.”

Lester isn’t making his trip alone, as he has been joined by people who have walked along with him for a portion of the journey, and he has a team traveling with him to record his trip and make sure the route is safe. 

Johnny Taylor is driving a spotter car for the trip, traveling ahead of Lester to make sure the way is clear of any potential dangers and changing the route if necessary. 

“There’s been a lot of things that I’ve had to look out for,” he said. “Such as loose dogs, low shoulders or no shoulders, even down to things like how fast traffic is moving and the weather conditions.”

Taylor traveled with Lester during his last walk to Washington D.C., but said there were a few differences this time around.

The terrain of east coast states is different from what’s been encountered in Alabama and North Georgia, he said.

The poverty that is visible on the trips is also different, Taylor said, with more urban poverty during the trip up the east coast and more rural poverty this time. 

“It’s definitely different terrain, different territory,” he said.

Along with being a partner of Lester’s, Taylor said he is also a good friend. 

“I think he’s a really great guy,” he said. “I really look up to him and what he’s doing.”

Ali Brathwaite also traveled with Lester in 2016, and is serving as a videographer and photographer for the trip, preparing daily videos that show Lester’s progress and documenting the journey for a documentary that will be made about MAP18.

He said Lester’s resolve has been admirable as he continues to traverse the many obstacles that have already been in his path. 

“It’s been inspiring to see him throughout all of that still psyched up to do the walk,” he said.

James Brookshire, a volunteer and a friend of Lester’s, is also making the trip, and has walked with Lester for around half of the trek.

He said he will be with Lester for a few more days, and is trying to be there to support Lester through any obstacles or potentially dangerous situations. 

“I’ve really just been along for support,” he said. “He’s got these guys looking out for him, but sometimes he needs to vent, sometimes he needs a pep talk and sometimes he needs to give me a pep talk.” 

There are a lot more people supporting Lester on social media and from afar, and he has earned their support, Brookshire said. 

“I believe in all the things he’s for,” he said. “He’s one of the most honest, dedicated men I know.”

Follow along with Terence Lester’s journey or support his organization at lovebeyondwalls.org or on social media at facebook.com/lovebeyondwalls or instagram.com/lovebeyondwalls.