Currently, the number of print publications strictly celebrating communities of color have fallen off the shelf. However, as we enter a new era where the work of Black and Brown creatives are highlighted to a greater regard, more projects are being green-lit and a new media with inclining representation is slowly, but surely forming. “I think it’s important to highlight Black and Brown creatives in all mediums and formats to give them the platform to tell their own stories,” Azia Javier, founder of A3 magazine tells ESSENCE.
Launching yesterday January 18, A3 released its inaugural issue titled The Dreamers Issue, coinciding with the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s birthday. “A3 Magazine is an ode to a community I love,” says Javier. The magazine intends to highlight the impacts of Black and Brown creativity and introduces an eclectic perspective and an “unapologetic execution, bridging the gap between the worlds of fine art and street art.”
Featured on the cover is is Brooklyn-based photographer Andre D. Wagner and includes stories featuring painter Alteronce Gumby, photography and film collective Black Boy Fly, gallery curator Destinee Ross-Sutton, boutique owner Telsha Anderson and virtual plant shop Grounded Plants. “I’ve met so many amazing Black and Brown creatives over the years and have been inspired by their stories time and time again. I wanted to create a platform that built community over clout while regularly highlighting Black creatives,” Javier continued.
Utilizing “Community over clout,” to build a prescriptive over the magazine, Javier shares that over time the magazine will expand into e-commerce and creative collaborations. “Through the platform of a magazine I’m able to be a storyteller, curator, collaborator and creative.” For more information on A3 Magazine, visit here.