Inspiration can come from many sources.
A clown can reach deep into your soul as well as tickle your funny bone. Brockovich, once a Kmart trainee, overcame personal struggles that seemed insurmountable. She became a national hero for her tenacity in taking on the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. for leaking a toxic chemical into the groundwater near the small town of Hinkley, Calif., a discovery she made while working as a file clerk for a personal injury attorney. Brockovich is now director of environmental research at the same law firm. Brockovich stopped in New Orleans, La., April 19 to deliver the sixth annual Father Carter lecture on social justice.