TÉ V. SMITH is a Nigerian-American educator, writer, and youth advocate. He is the founder of Amù Primary Schools in Nigeria and Kenya and the creator of Colors of a Nation, a history curriculum that reimagines traditional narratives to center marginalized voices. Té partners with organizations across Louisiana, St. Louis, and Philadelphia to amplify youth voice through storytelling, podcasting, and creative education.
His short fiction has appeared in Tin House, Griffel, Blavity, The Dillydoun Review, and other publications. A Rhode Island Writers Colony Fellow, Disney+ Reimagine Tomorrow Writer in Residence, Lambda Literary Fellow, and Tunnel Vision Poetry Prize recipient, Té leads workshops and lectures on creative writing, education reform, interfaith dialogue, and healthy masculinity across the U.S. and abroad.
Based in New Orleans, Té continues to mentor young writers and community leaders, using story as a tool for healing, empowerment, and change.
I resist & explore. I don't have many certainties. In fact, even those certainties ain't really certainties—more like a small number of ever-evolving considerations. I believe we all stumble and soar as we expand into larger versions of ourselves. I believe that, on that journey, we experience and share much beauty and injury. I believe everyone is fragile (even the ones who made you fragile). I believe in reflection and growth. I believe that everyone (who wants to) can be redeemed. I believe that some things aren't meant to be redeemed. Some things are vital to the essence of your unique imprint. I write fiction and design learning spaces that explore these truths.
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L.H.A. Publishing LLC
Founded by writer, educator, and activist Té V. Smith, L.H.A. Publishing is a mission-driven independent press committed to amplifying underrepresented voices and stories that matter. Grounded in the belief that those most impacted by social and policy change should be at the center of cultural production, L.H.A. cultivates literary spaces for authentic expression, critical reflection, and transformative storytelling. Our publishing work focuses on three primary areas: youth literary journals that elevate emerging writers, intergenerational narratives that foster dialogue across age and experience, and children’s books that affirm identity, imagination, and justice. We currently publish works of creative nonfiction, young adult fiction, and poetry that reflect the complexities of lived experience and expand the literary canon. At L.H.A., we believe literature is both a mirror and a map, offering readers reflections of themselves and new pathways forward. Through intentional curation and collaborative editorial practice, we support writers whose voices deserve to be heard, shared, and remembered.