Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Ju’ShayDee Lathan is an artist, creative visionary, community advocate, and co-founder of New Jersey Black Pride, Inc., the state’s first Black Pride organization. For years, she has used photography, visual art, storytelling, and community engagement to create spaces where people feel seen, valued, and celebrated. Known for her passion, creativity, and commitment to uplifting others, Lathan has helped shape conversations around culture, visibility, and inclusion throughout the LGBTQIA+ community. Our NY Correspondent Monick Monell sat down with her to talk about her journey, the experiences that shaped her, and the purpose that continues to guide her work today (all photos are credited to Deborah Glenn).
Ju’ShayDee Lathan
Q: Tell our readers a little about yourself and the journey that has shaped who you are today.
A: I’m a creative, activist, visionary, and community builder whose roots are firmly planted in Brooklyn, New York. New York gave me my swagger, artistic eye, confidence, and understanding of culture. It shaped how I see people, fashion, music, movement, and storytelling.
Although I’ve lived in New Jersey since 1995, New York will always be home base for me, and much of my life and work continue throughout the tri-state area.
I’m the founder of New Jersey Black Pride, Inc., alongside Deborah Glenn, and I’m also the creative force behind BluPhotoArt. My work spans photography, visual art, fashion, storytelling, and advocacy, all rooted in creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and empowered.
I’ve always been naturally reserved. I never felt the need to be the loudest person in the room because I believe meaningful work eventually speaks for itself. My art speaks. My consistency speaks. My purpose speaks.
I’ve learned that influence does not always arrive with noise. Sometimes it moves quietly, intentionally, and leaves a lasting impact long after the room grows silent.
Q: It is a pleasure to reconnect with you after so many years and witness the remarkable contributions you are making through New Jersey Black Pride. How did you and Deborah Glenn bring New Jersey Black Pride to life, and what has helped foster such a strong sense of community?
A: New Jersey Black Pride, Inc. was founded by myself and Deborah Glenn out of love, vision, and necessity.
At the time, we recognized that Black LGBTQIA+ communities in New Jersey needed spaces that genuinely reflected our culture, experiences, and humanity. We wanted to create more than just events. We wanted to build connection, healing, visibility, and belonging.
Coming from New York culture, I was accustomed to seeing creativity, individuality, and self-expression exist boldly and unapologetically. Deborah and I carried that same spirit into the work we were building throughout New Jersey.
That sense of togetherness grew from authenticity. People can feel when something is rooted in sincerity. We welcomed everyone, from elders to youth, from artists to activists, from the quiet observer in the corner to the person commanding the dance floor like it was center stage at the Apollo.
Together, we focused on creating environments where people felt embraced rather than judged, celebrated rather than tolerated, and connected rather than isolated.
Watching people walk into our spaces and finally feel free enough to exhale made every challenge worthwhile.
Q: We’d love to hear about your first experience in an LGBTQIA+ space. Was there an elder whose guidance continues to influence your life today?
A: My first experience in an LGBTQIA+ space was emotional because, for the first time, I witnessed people existing openly and unapologetically. Growing up in Brooklyn during that era, there was tremendous pressure surrounding identity, masculinity, and conformity.
What stayed with me most were the elders, especially the older lesbians who carried themselves with elegance, wisdom, humor, and quiet strength.
One lesson they repeated often was:
“Never let anybody put you in a box.”
That stayed with me throughout my life and became one of the reasons I never fully subscribed to labels for myself. Human beings are layered, evolving, and far too complex to be reduced to a single category.
Those elders taught me that authenticity is freedom. They showed me how to move through life with dignity while remaining true to yourself, even when the world around you struggles to understand you.
Many of them endured discrimination, silence, and hardship, yet they still found ways to mentor, laugh, love, and uplift others. Their resilience shaped my outlook in ways words can barely capture.
Q: How can The Unleashed Voice Magazine support the mission of New Jersey Black Pride, and how can our readers get involved?
A: Platforms like The Unleashed Voice Magazine play an essential role because they preserve stories that might otherwise be forgotten or overlooked.
Representation matters. Visibility matters. Honest storytelling matters. One of the most powerful ways to support New Jersey Black Pride, Inc. is by continuing to amplify authentic voices within Black LGBTQIA+ communities and highlighting the work being done beyond Pride season.
Readers can contribute by volunteering, mentoring youth, supporting LGBTQIA+-owned businesses, attending community events, advocating for fairness and inclusion, and extending compassion toward others.
Real community is built through participation and presence. And honestly, in our world, all it takes is one flyer, one repost, and one “You coming?” text message before the entire community arrives dressed like it’s Fashion Week mixed with a family cookout.
Q: Pride celebrations often bring together multiple generations. What role does intergenerational connection play within New Jersey Black Pride?
A: Absolutely. Pride belongs to every generation.
One of the most beautiful aspects of New Jersey Black Pride, Inc. is seeing younger people and elders sharing the same space. That connection matters because our elders carry stories, wisdom, and lived experiences that younger generations deserve to hear and understand.
My involvement with SAGE reinforced how important it is to honor LGBTQIA+ elders who paved the way for many of the freedoms people experience today.
At New Jersey Black Pride, we intentionally create inclusive environments that welcome all ages because visibility and belonging should never expire with youth.
There is something deeply powerful about watching a young queer person dancing beside someone who survived decades of discrimination and still chooses joy. That is healing. That is legacy in motion.
Q: Share a piece of history that resonates with you and tell us how it connects to your vision for the future.
A: The HIV/AIDS crisis profoundly impacted me because I personally lost many Black queer men to that epidemic. These were not distant headlines or statistics. They were friends, artists, mentors, visionaries, and beautiful souls whose lives ended far too soon.
I witnessed an entire generation carrying grief, fear, silence, and survival simultaneously. Yet even through unimaginable loss, our community still found ways to love fiercely, support one another, create beauty, and keep pushing forward. That resilience changed me forever.
Artists like Nina Simone deeply inspire me because her music reflected the realities of the world around her. She transformed pain, injustice, truth, and human emotion into art that could not be ignored. I adopted that same philosophy in my own creative journey and in how I move through life.
Through photography, storytelling, activism, and visual art, I strive to document truth, preserve culture, and capture the emotional heartbeat of the times we are living in. To me, art should do more than simply look beautiful. It should make people think, feel, reflect, and remember.
That era also taught me how vital visibility and community truly are. Too many Black queer voices were lost before they had the opportunity to fully realize their brilliance and share their gifts with the world.
My vision for the future is to help create a world where younger generations can exist openly, creatively, and unapologetically without inheriting the same levels of fear, shame, or silence that many before them endured.
I want them to inherit freedom instead of survival mode. Joy instead of hiding. And a world where their existence is celebrated, not merely tolerated.
Q: Do you recognize the significant contributions your work has made to preserving history and creating visibility for others?
A: Thank you. That truly means a great deal to me. As an artist, I think we often become so focused on creating that we rarely pause long enough to fully recognize our own impact. I’ve always approached life from a place of humility, so I never moved through the world seeking applause or validation.
Over time, however, I realized the work carries meaning. I’ve had the privilege of exhibiting artwork, documenting culture through photography, helping build transformative community initiatives, and serving as Artistic Director for Rainbow Fashion Week.
One of the moments that remains especially meaningful to me was helping feature a model who uses a wheelchair on the runway during a time when that level of inclusion was rarely visible in fashion spaces.
Those moments represented far more than style or presentation. They reflected humanity, visibility, and the importance of making space for everyone to be seen.
When someone tells me my work inspired them, made them feel valued, or allowed them to see themselves differently, that means more to me than any award ever could.
History is not preserved only through textbooks. Sometimes it lives inside photographs, conversations, fashion, music, and the moments people carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Q: Representation matters. Can you share a memorable Pride experience that continues to inspire you today?
A: Over the years, I’ve encountered celebrities, artists, entertainers, and influential figures in Pride, fashion, and creative spaces. Yet the moments that remain with me most are not rooted in fame. They are rooted in humanity.
What always stood out to me was witnessing public figures openly support the LGBTQIA+ community during periods when doing so was not always socially accepted or politically convenient. Visibility matters because representation can genuinely change lives.
Truthfully, though, some of the greatest celebrities in my eyes are everyday people.
The Black trans woman who continues to walk confidently despite adversity.
The elder who survived decades of discrimination and still radiates joy.
The young queer person nervously attending their first Pride event while trying to discover where they belong.
Those are the stories I carry back to the community because Pride, to me, has never been about status or celebrity. It has always been about freedom, authenticity, and the courage to exist fully in a world that sometimes encourages people to hide themselves.
And growing up in New York taught me something very early in life:
“Never dim your light simply because someone else forgot to bring batteries.”
Interview conducted by The Unleashed Voice Magazine
Monick Monell 
Monick Monell, TUV Magazine NY Correspondent
