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FEATURES
together. In ’63 or ’64, a friend who was
a student at UAB and also Cuban and I
went to a Y dance downtown. During one
of the intermissions, a couple of students
asked us to go outside and announced
they were members of the Klan, and
they started beating us up. We had been
chatting in Spanish and they’d caught
wind of that. They said people from Latin
America weren’t welcome, and how dare I
dance with a white girl?
“We were speaking Spanish to one
another to better communicate to each
other about which girl we would like to
dance with next. That was my priority at
that young age, of course.”
He arrived home that night with two
black eyes and stayed home from classes
the next day. It made an impression on
him that lasted much longer than the
injuries.
Lerer says living in Birmingham and
attending BSC, which integrated in
September 1965, taught him a great deal
about race relations.
“In some ways, by its example of
acceptance when this was still very
controversial, Birmingham-Southern
served as an example that has lived with
me for the rest of my life,” Lerer said.
“And personally, the experience of having
been accepted into the midst and given a
scholarship at a time when I was a needy
and poor adolescent gave me a lifelong
desire to help people who are not well off.”
Inspiring the future
Since leaving the Hilltop, Lerer has
given back by traveling to Haiti after
natural disasters; providing primary
care in India and Nicaragua, and
participating in faculty exchange trips
to teach health care providers in China,
India, and Ukraine.
And, as the course of history often does,
Lerer’s life brought him back to the place
where he began. He serves on the board
of the nonpro t group Caring Partners,
which has provided more health care
services to the government of Cuba than
any other organization. He has visited
Cuba more than 50 times, delivering
medical supplies and bringing faculty
teams from various medical schools.
“I have always had a regard for people
who are not well off, because we were
refugees and had almost no money. As
soon as I was able, I started contributing
what I could to Birmingham-Southern,”
he said.
In 1991, Lerer established a scholarship
named for his family. He and his wife,
Janis, a retired nurse, contribute to
the Joseph, Frances, and Robert Lerer
Scholarship annually and have included
the college in their estate planning. The
scholarship provides aid for Hispanics
and other minority students pursuing
careers in the medical and dental elds.
Antonio Castanon ’12 received the
scholarship his senior year at BSC and
graduated with a degree in biology with
concentrations in Spanish and chemistry.
Like Lerer, Castanon was an immigrant;
he moved to the U.S. from Mexico with
his mother.
“At that time it was very challenging
for me and for my family. My mom was
diagnosed with a brain tumor during that
period of my life, so the nancial backing
from my family was really limited,”
Castanon said. “Being a recipient of the
Lerer Scholarship was a ray of hope in
pursuing the dream of completing my
higher education. I was the rst in my
immediate family to have the opportunity
to become a graduate.”
Today, Castanon is a union
representative with Laborers’ International
Union of North America, advocating for
workers in the construction industry.
He also works in community advocacy
for immigration, and he is a candidate
for a Masters of Public Health at George
Washington University.
Inspired by alumni like Lerer, Castanon
says he would like to start a scholarship
himself someday for immigrant students
pursuing degrees at Birmingham-
Southern.
“The scholarship let me know that the
BSC family is committed,” Castanon said.
“The president’s of ce, the faculty and
support staff at Birmingham-Southern,
the people at the post of ce, cafeteria
workers—I have fond memories of good
meals in the Caf—everyone is helping
everybody out. That may not be re ected
in the degree title, but it is certainly part
of the education at BSC.”
Lerer’s own memories from 50 years
ago mirror Castanon’s more recent
experience—proof that Birmingham-
Southern has a decades-long tradition of
supporting students.
“I recall the warmth of the faculty, the
eagerness to help you after hours. More
than once I walked down faculty row and
knocked on the door of a faculty member
because I was having trouble with
something,” Lerer said.
“And I was always met with an open
door.”
Antonio Castanon ‘12
“God gave me skills and intelligence
and drive, but all of that really
developed while I was at college.”