Exhuming Black Gay Artist Tré Johnson, 26 Years After His Death
This April will mark the 26th anniversary of the death of R. Leigh Johnson, or Tré, as he was affectionately called by his family and those in Atlanta’s burgeoning Black gay community of the early ‘90s. A talented poet, singer, and activist, Tré (as I will refer to him going forward) was a creative force whose light was dimmed entirely too soon. Having moved to Atlanta in 2006, a decade after his passing, I’d never heard his name mentioned in activist circles, or read any of his poetry. I didn’t know that he’d once walked the same streets as I did and made it possible for me to experience the liberation and freedom that I now enjoy as an out Black gay man.
![Exhuming Black Gay Artist Tré Johnson, 26 Years After His Death](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d45a11f378ddd0001b7093e/1643741150688-1RD2YW520SPZK7IJ167J/R.+Leigh+%28Tre%27%29.png)