How Long Gone 1008. - Quil Lemons
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Oct 14, 2026 Quil Lemons, a Philadelphia-born photographer and visual artist, discusses his new book, Quiladelphia. He explores regional Black culture going global, Soulja Boy’s internet legacy, Black queer masculinity, Stone Mountain, and the politics of cultural ownership. He also talks about queer intimacy, sex education, casting OnlyFans models, meeting JoJo at Walgreens, and making art with his stylist husband.
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Black Creators Helped Build Internet Culture
- Quil Lemons sees Black internet users as formative architects of online identity and culture.
- Soulja Boy’s early YouTube success shows how Black creators helped establish the internet’s cultural economy.
Queer Safety Still Depends On Place And History
- Queer expression has become safer in some places, but acceptance still depends heavily on family, geography, and diaspora.
- Quil Lemons connects personal freedom with confronting racist histories such as Stone Mountain’s Confederate monument.
Obama Optimism Required A Second Phase Of Work
- Obama-era optimism expanded Quil Lemons’s sense of possibility without eliminating racism.
- He now sees preserving that freedom as requiring organization and sustained work, not passive hope.
