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A New Lit Wave - As the creators of the pioneering literary magazine THE TENTH, Khary Septh, Kyle Banks and Andre Jones are aiming to bring the rich stories of Black gay men to light. With the first two volumes' launch events already under their belts, the team will travel cross-country to collaborate with both leading and undiscovered Black gay talent. BET spoke with Banks about the magazine’s beginnings, the public's reception, and its future projects. — Patrice Peck(Photo: Courtesy of The Tenth)

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Boys in the Studio - THE TENTH was birthed out of a photographic series entitled “Boys in the Studio,” created by the founders' (pictured) creative firm Pink Rooster Studio.(Photo: courtesy of The Tenth)

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Brilliant, Black Young Men - The response to the series was so great that they decided to reach beyond their immediate connections. What they discovered was a whole new world of brilliant, Black gay men making strides in their respective fields and communities.(Photo: Courtesy of The Tenth)

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Something Special - A labor of the love, the first volume of THE TENTH involved a group of 90 collaborators over the span of a year. "Initially, the plan was to produce round two of 'Boys in the Studio,'” Banks told BET.com. “However, with the crop of Black gay talent that either we discovered or vice versa, it was obvious that we needed to curate something a bit more special."(Photo: Courtesy of The Tenth)

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A Positive Response - "The response that we’ve received from those who have had the opportunity to experience THE TENTH 'zine has been surprisingly, extremely positive,” said Banks. (Photo: Courtesy of The Tenth)

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The Black Gay Experience - "I’m not sure if we’re at the point of having to tackle misconceptions about the publication but maybe misconceptions about the Black gay experience as a whole. Now that’s another story.”(Photo: Courtesy of The Tenth)

Photo By Photo: Courtesy of The Tenth

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Cross-Country Tour - For volume two, THE TENTH will be hitting the road for four weeks and visiting 10 American cities in order to showcase a more regionally diverse source of talent.(Photo: Courtesy of The Tenth)

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Exploring Cultural Landscapes - Through photographic essays and in-depth interviews, Banks, Jones and Septh plan to explore the various cultural landscapes of Philadelphia, Charlotte, NC, Dallas, Seattle, New Orleans, Kansas City, MO, Chicago, and more.(Photo: Courtesy of Gay Letter)

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Making Connection - As for their mission, THE TENTH founders are aiming to simply share the story of the Black gay community as it lives today, in the hopes of connecting with and getting to deeply know each other and connect with the larger community as well.(Photo: Courtesy of Gay Letter)

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A Gratifying Feeling - "It’s an extremely freeing feeling and quite gratifying […] to now have this body of work as a result of my fellow brothers committing, not only their time and talents, but also the many dark, yet, colorful life experiences that we as Black gay men share,” said Banks.(Photo: Courtesy of Gay Letter)