Joe Hughes III is a writer and poet from Woodbridge, Virginia, where in 2020, his county's anti-racist magazine, Prince William Perspectives, named him a "Prince William Innovator" for stirring public conversation and inspiring vulnerability. At that time, Joe organized “Poetry Corners,” an Instagram Live series that showcased local talent, where he facilitated critical discussions surrounding art, race, and mental health. That same year Joe performed poetry on Black joy for Meet the Youngs x Swank Art's BLACK Summer, and the Writer's Club New York's The Poems of Black Souls. 

A current Virginia Tech senior (Class of 2023), double majoring in Creative Writing and Professional/Technical Writing, his poetry earned him a nomination in his university’s 2021 Undergraduate Creative Writing Awards and a finalist spot in their poetry contest, the Giovanni-Steger Award two years in a row. His poetry and nonfiction explore alternative Black expressions, masculinity, and internet culture through visual experimentation and research-driven narratives. These writings appear in Apogee Journal, Level Ground’s Skew Magazine, Dudefluencer.com, and more.