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 expands from the dominant 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 The Dillydoun Review, Blavity, Griffel, Tin House, and other publications. A Rhode Island Writers Colony Fellow, Disney+ Reimagine Tomorrow Writer in Residence, Lambda Literary Fellow, and Tunnel Vision Poetry Prize awardee, Té lectures and facilitates workshops on Creative Writing, Education Reform, Interfaith Dialogue, and Healthy Masculinity throughout the U.S. and abroad. Té lives in New Orleans, where, when he can be found, he guides young people in writing and sharing their stories. When he can’t, he’s writing, revising, or tucked somewhere between the stacks.
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 be is redeemable. 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 help young people and educators explore these truths. My work resides at the intersection of storytelling, social-emotional learning, and community well-being. Whether I’m leading a workshop in New Orleans or a classroom in Nairobi, I’m most alive when helping underrepresented voices shape their narrative and claim their power.
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.