Summer heat brings with it long days and rising temperatures – the perfect set of conditions when you are ready to ignite…
Our Cover Photo for this collection is our non-traditional tribute to Pride – our look back at how it all began while still looking toward the future. The Stonewall Riots were a significant moment in history that ignited a people and sparked a movement. Our Cover Story, 50 Years of Stonewall, explores how something so brutal and cruel ignited something as beautiful and colorful as Pride has become today.
The Justified Hype Creators also explore Ignite from other angles throughout the collection. Perhaps ignite a life-long romance or a night of passion. Perhaps ignite a very different kind of passion, one of purpose, creative energy, and intention. In this month’s Arts section, we present a photo essay, Ignite a Fire, exploring these themes and documenting the literal use of fire as a creative tool for glass making. Another photo essay, Dancergram, explores Ignite as motivation, looking at how we are influenced by social media, and comparing that visually to a dancer stage performance, and need for the spotlight.
Our #AWalkAmongGods Poetry & Photo series features yet another exploration of Ignite, with Noor Kazmi’s Applied to the Dark, a look at cultural differences between mainstream America and all others to which the same standards are applied. We also look at igniting cultural pride and resistance movements in Mi Barrio Through the Years from guest contributor Vera Sanchez.
In this pivotal collection, we are proud to feature new collaborations, new featured columns, and guest contributors. I am excited to move into the Editor-in-Chief role as our Founder, Arash Afshar, focuses on other aspects of our start-up. We are certainly seeing the sparks of what we launched just a short time ago spread into flames. It is the perfect time for Justified Hype to be exploring the theme IGNITE.